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July 10, 2021
R.S. [Allegory on the Glory of Spain] "Regna tot una rego, quot cœtera Numina gentes: . . ." Sixteenth century. Engraving by R.S.; figures by Joan of Ach. Image 7 7/8 x 10 1/8. Trimmed to image and below text, perhaps as issued. Top two corners replaced in facsimile ink drawing. Good impression. Good condition. $1,250
An unrecorded allegory illustrating the glory of Spain during the sixteenth century. Spain is illustrated as a woman seated below a tree upon which hangs the royal crest, and she is holding a scepter and has a crown in her lap. Next to her stands a knight in armor holding a flag of war, a personification of Mars. This figure is explained by the Latin text below the image, which roughly translated states, "I rule as many kingdoms as other spirits rule nations: and although I possess the most, yet I seek more. I even try to add the Sun to the heavenly kingdoms, whither Mars, Art and Prosperity direct me...." The military might of Spain is illustrated by the drum and shield that lie at Mars' feet, as well as by the army shown marching in the middle ground and the ships attacking a castle in the background. The arts and prosperity are symbolized by the musical instruments, scientific instruments, the illustration of commerce, and the goods and bullion which populate the allegory around the central figures. One final aspect of the allegory is the graphic reference to Spain's conquests in the New World, illustrated by a globe showing a map of the western hemisphere in the lower left. The final line of the text also alludes to the Spanish empire in the west, "The Stars led me over the sea to the black Indies, which now I insert among the highest stars." By the late sixteenth century, Spain was the dominant power in Europe, and this allegory wonderfully celebrates her glory.
Gilles Robert De Vaugondy. "Partie De L'Amérique Septentrionale, qui comprend Le Cours De L'Ohio, La N'lle Angleterre, La N'lle York, Le New Jersey, La Pensylvanie, Le Maryland La Virginie, La Caroline." Paris: G. Robert De Vaugondy, [1755]-1768. 18 3/4 x 24 1/2. Engraving by C. Haussard. Hand color. Short tear and stain below cartouche expertly repaired. Else, very good condition. Pedley: 469, Unrecorded state between first and second states. $975
An attractive example of Gilles Robert De Vaugondy's map of the British colonies, which was based upon John Mitchell's great map of North America from the same year. As such, it took information from Lewis Evans on the middle British Colonies and Joshua Fry's and Peter Jefferson's map of Virginia and Maryland. The Mitchell map resulted from many years of British surveying in the colonies of North America, and it represented the best information about the continent that was available to Europeans and Americans in the mid-eighteenth century. Robert De Vaugondy's map does not cover the entire area shown in Mitchell's map, but rather focuses on the British colonies, extending from southern Maine to the Carolinas, with an inset of South Carolina and Georgia added in the upper left corner. Dense detail is neatly engraved for the river systems and settlements along the eastern coast and well inland. The mapping of the trans-Allegheny regions-showing the Ohio River, Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts of Ohio-and of the inland areas to the southeast of the Great Lakes and in interior New England is of particular interest, for this shows some of the earliest accurate information of these regions. The dotted lines and outline color designate pre-Treaty of Paris (1763) information about the Ohio country. A rococo title cartouche in the lower right adds a fine decorative touch to this historic document.
This map is an unrecorded state between the first and second, retaining the first state's final line below the title, but adding several changes present in the second state, such as Pennsylvania extending into most of present day New York and with "New-Hamp-Shire" and "Prov. De Sagadahock" indicated in the New England region.
Unattributed. "A New Map of the State of California, The Territories of Oregon & Utah. Compiled after the best authorities." From Meyer's Hand-Atlas. Hildburghausen: Bibliographic Institution, 1852. 15 1/4 x 12 1/4. Engraving by E. Biedermann. Original color. Very good condition. $675
A very detailed map of the western United States showing the political situation there just after the middle of the nineteenth century. With the official acquisition of Oregon Territory (1846) and the Mexican Cession (1848), the California Gold Rush (1849) and the admittance of California as a state and the creation of Utah and New Mexico territories (1850), the American West was of great interest to Americans and others around the world. Thus it was that most atlases included a map of this region, of which this is the one that appeared in Meyer's Hand-Atlas in 1852. About 1833 Joseph Meyer had founded the Bibliographischen Institut in Hildburghausen, which issued geographical works, and in 1849 he sent his son, Herrmann, to set up the North American branch of the Bibliographic Institution. In the 1840s and early 1850s this business published their well respected Hand-Atlas.
Their maps were known for their precise detail and this is a good example of their output. This map contains much the same information as the S. Augustus Mitchell maps which began in the mid-1840s, but with some differences, especially in California where this map has especially good detail. Throughout are shown rivers, mountains, Indian tribes, and settlements of all sizes. This map also shows a number of trails, including the Lewis & Clark's canoe route, Frémont's route of exploration, the Oregon Trail and the Great Spanish Trail. A nicely colored inset in the lower left is of San Francisco and environs. An excellent cartographic picture of the American West at a transformative period in its history.
John Reid. "A General Map of South America from the best Surveys. 1796." From John Reid's The American Atlas. New York: John Reid, 1796. 14 1/4 x 17 1/2. Engraving by B. Tanner. Very good condition. Wheat & Brun: 712. $425
In 1795, William Winterbotham issued in London An Historical, Geographical, Commercial and Philosophical View of the American United States . . ., which was accompanied by An America Atlas consisting of nine maps of sections of America by John Russell. The following year, New York bookseller John Reid issued an American edition of Winterbotham's work, this time accompanied by a more substantial American Atlas containing 21 maps. Six of these-North America, South America, West Indies, United States, Kentucky, and Washington D.C.-were direct copies of the Russell maps, but the others were new maps, though both these maps and the concept was certainly greatly influenced by Mathew Carey's atlas of the year before. Though Philadelphia was the center of most American mapmaking in the eighteenth century, the atlas was engraved and produced in New York, and when issued it was only the second American atlas published in this country. Carey appears to have had better commercial instincts, for while his atlas went into further editions, this is the only edition of the Reid atlas, and its considerable scarcity seems to indicate it was not a success. The maps, however, are rare and important examples of nascent American cartography.
After a photograph by Henry Draper. "Facsimile of a Photograph of the Moon, Taken by Dr. Henry Draper's Telescope." New York: Harper's Weekly, 1864. Double folio. 20 1/4 x 13 1/2 (image). Wood engraving. With fold as issued. Very good condition. $175
Henry Draper (1837-1882) followed in the footsteps of his famous father. He studied medicine and had a passion for astronomical photography. Henry built two observatories at the family home in Hastings in 1860. His father, John William Draper, took the first daguerreotypes of the moon in 1840. In 1863 Henry took a series of photographs of the moon that were larger and far more detailed than any taken previously.
Harper's Weekly was a New York based newspaper in the last half of the nineteenth and early twentieth century. In weekly issues, Harper's presented a mixture of news stories, gossip, poetry, and most notably, wood-engraved illustrations. These pictures remain one of the best sources for lively, informative images of nineteenth-century America. With photographs in a primitive stage, and no television, it is through these illustrations that much of the country got its visual information about the events, personalities and places of the time.
June 29, 2021
Sebastian Munster. "De terris Asiae minoris." From Cosmographia. Basle [1540]-1548. 10 x 13 1/2. Woodcut. Excellent condition. $125
A sixteenth-century woodcut map of Asia Minor by Sebastian Munster (1489-1552). Munster was one of the greatest cartographers in the era before the Dutch "modern" cartographers such as Mercator and Ortelius, and he issued many influential maps in his editions of Ptolemy's Geographia and his own Cosmographia. This map of Asia Minor is typical of his excellent work. Topographical detail is surprisingly copious, with data on cities, regions, mountains and rivers abundant and of considerable historic interest. The Cosmographia was a compendium of knowledge at the time and it is through maps such as this that many in Europe had their only access to what the nations of the world were like.
Girolamo Porro after Giovanni Magini. "Tabula Asiae III." From Geographiae Universætum Veteris tum Novae. Cologne, 1597. Printed by Peter Keschedt. 4 7/8 x 6 5/8. Engraving. Full margins. $80
From Giovanni Magini's edition of Ptolemy's Geography, a fine example of the Ptolemaic depiction of a region in Asia Minor. When Ptolemy put together his Geography in ca. 150 A.D., regions around the Mediterranean were well known and depicted with great accuracy by the head librarian at the Alexandrian Library. There is much detail of interest, showing rivers, 'kingdoms,' and the hint of a sea monster in the Caspian Sea. Of particular note is the fact that this map, based on information a millenium and a half old, was issued in the same atlas as a very current Porro map. The publication of both the old-Ptolemaic and the new rendition of each part of the world was a common practice in the sixteenth century, and is a wonderful reflection of the culture and world-view of that period.
after Franz Ludwig Güssefeld. "Charte von Asien . . ." Nuremberg: Homann Heirs 1793. 18 3/4 x 22 1/2. Engraving. Original hand outline color. Very good condition. $525
Güssefeld (1744 - 1807) was a German cartographer who had issued an early map of the United States for the Homann Heirs firm in 1784. Born in Osterburg, he had an interest in drawing maps from an early age.
In 1773, the Homann Heirs published the first of over 100 of his maps, the high quality of which helped to turn around the declining prestige of the famous firm.
Later in his life, Güssefeld's maps were also published in Weimar by the Geographische Instituts.
Samuel Dunn. "A Compleat Map of the East Indies." London: Robert Sayer, 1786. 12 x 17. Engraving. Original hand color. Some paper discoloration on each side of the center fold. Overall, very good appearance and condition. $325
A handsome British map of India and the East Indies by Samuel Dunn (d. 1794). Besides being a mapmaker, Dunn was a sometimes publisher of maps and atlases, a mathematician, and teacher, who advertised his profession as "S. Dunn Teacher of the Mathematicks London. Boards Young Gentlemen, & Teacheth Penmanship, Merch'ts Acc'ts, Navigation, Fortification, Astronomy &c. Chelsea." Dunn's mathematical inclinations are demonstrated on the precision of this fine map which shows the southern regions of Asia to the northern regions of Sumatra and Borneo. Topography and political features are precisely engraved and then original color applied to indicate the colonial power which held claim to the different islands and countries.
John Cary. "A New Map of Chinese & Independent Tartary, from the latest authorities." From Cary's New Universal Atlas. London: J. Cary, 1806. 18 x 20. Engraving. Full original hand color. Some light spots in margins. Else, very good condition. $325
This map was drawn, engraved and published by John Cary (fl. 1769-1836) in London for the 1801 edition of his New Universal Atlas. Amidst the turmoil of the Napoleonic wars, British Naval power was rising, and mapmaking as both art and science kept pace. Cary used existing maps and new surveys to provide his clients with the most up-to-date information on all parts of the world. Inaccuracies may be evident, but they reflect the knowledge in western Europe at the time they were made. This map shows East Asia with excellent and geographically depicted detail. The original hand color adds a strong decorative appeal to this historic map.
June 25, 2021
Sebastian Munster. "Anglia II. Nova Tabula." From Sebastian Munster's edition of Geographia. Basel: Henric Petri, ca 1552. Woodcut. Decorative woodblock on verso attributed to Hans Holbein. Very good edition. Shirley: 55. $950
In 1540, cartographer Sebastian Munster issued his version of Claudius Ptolemy's Geographia. This work contained maps of the different parts of the world as understood by Ptolemy, the librarian at Alexandria, Egypt ca. 150 A.D. At the same time that he recognized Ptolemy's work by reissuing his maps directly, Munster also added a number of "modern" maps, reflecting the new knowledge gleaned of the world in the intervening fourteen centuries. These "new" maps issued by Munster reflect the most up-to-date information available in Europe, for Munster was a assiduous collector of geographic data at the various book fairs in northern Europe and through his correspondence with other learned men of the time. This map of England is particularly good of its subject, containing around 80 named towns, rivers, and other topographical features, many of these shown for the first time on this map. As Rodney Shirley states, it was "substantially in advance of any others printed hitherto." (Early Printed Maps of the British Isles, p. 28) The map is "oriented," that is east is at the top, and it covers all of England, Wales, and parts of Scotland and Ireland. The source material for Munster's map is unknown, though it is thought that he had access to some form of the famous Gough map. There are few map available to the collector of equal interest and historic import.
Pieter van der Aa. "L'Europe." Leiden: P. van der Aa, ca. 1728. 9 x 11 3/4 (image). Engraving. Hand color. Small loss of printed information near Iceland expertly filled. Expertly lined with rice paper. Else, very good condition. $300
A Dutch cartographer who started at an early age, being apprenticed to a bookseller at the age of nine, Pieter (or Pierre) van der Aa (1659-1733) is well known for his decorative maps. He published maps and views at the beginning of the era of scientific cartography, but he retained in his works many of the decorative features of the golden age of Dutch cartography. This map of Europe is a fine example of his work.
"Physical Map of the United States." With insets at right of four Eastern city harbors: Boston, New York, Philadelphia & Baltimore. Boston: William C. Woodbridge, ca. 1848-50. From Modern Atlas, to Accompany Woodbridge and Willard's System of Universal Geography. 10 1/2 x16 3/4 (neat lines). Engraving. Hand color in neat lines and states of Delaware, Georgia, Michigan & South Carolina. Center fold as originally issued. Several tears in corners of map all expertly repaired and not affecting image. Map has been professionally conserved and lined with rice paper. Else, very good condition. Scarce. $350
Originally published in 1843, this map is an updated edition issued just after the end of the Mexican-American War. The Gila River boundary established with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between Mexico and the US is clearly indicated by dash lines. The border was not adjusted south until 1854 with the Gadsden Purchase. Great Salt Lake is indicated but not Salt Lake City which was founded in 1847. The vast area of the great American Desert is indicated. There is no mention of gold in California nor is the name of Texas noted at all in the map, even though it was admitted to the Union as a state in 1845. Overall, a very informative map of the United States after the end of the Mexican American War.
June 24, 2021
Thomas Kitchin. "Map of the United States in North America with the British, French and Spanish Dominions adjoining, according to the Treaty of 1783." London: Thomas Cadell, 1783. First state with Cadell imprint in bottom margin. 16 1/8 x 19 3/4. Engraving. Outline hand color. With folds as issued. Portion of map expertly filled and inpainted to right of cartouche. Map expertly rejoined along vertical center fold with rice paper with small loss of map filled along center fold to left of letter "D" in Canada. Else, good condition. $975
A finely engraved map of the United States as set up by the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolution. One of the earliest maps one can attain that names the United States of America. Drawn by Thomas Kitchin, one of the leading British cartographers of the late eighteenth century, the map presents copious detail of orography, rivers, towns, and political borders. Also indicated are forts and Indian tribes throughout as well as the Spanish, French and British territories surrounding the nascent nation. Prior to the war, the British had mapped the entire eastern part of North America and this map well documents that impressive cartographic achievement.
Maryann E. Martin (1813-1857). "The United States drawn by Maryann E. Martin, Williamstown." [Vermont]. Drawn ca. 1830. Ink on wove paper. Original outline watercolor. 16 1/4 x 20 1/4. Map originally mounted to canvas backing and varnished. Browning in map due to varnish. Minor water stains along right hand side and into title at bottom, not affecting map. With original ribbon edging, hanging loop at top and rollers. Overall, good condition. $1,200
As an outgrowth of the same educational thrust that drove the production of embroidery samplers, schoolgirl maps represent a progression in attitudes toward girlhood education and female intellect. Where embroidery showed off a young lady's refinement and artistic skill, a hand-drawn map indicated those refinements as well as lessons on more worldly topics. Though such a map would hardly see use outside the domestic setting, the instruction of map-drawing for young girls indicates a desire for females to have greater knowledge of the shape of the world.
We attribute this map to Maryann E. Martin (1813-1857) of Williamstown, VT. Even a cursory glance at this schoolgirl's map of the United States reveals that lessons in geography and history must have been extensive indeed. Maryann Martin's meticulous map includes detailed topographic information. Her rendering of coastal inlets, bays, and islands is remarkable. Throughout the unsettled portions of the south and west, Native American tribes are noted. A decorative arch of beautifully, but not fully, drawn roses are part of the title.
We can determine this manuscript map to have been drawn about 1830 based on the age of Maryann at this time. She was most likely copying a map that was approximately published in 1820. The capital of Illinois at this time is Kaskaskia which is indicated on the map but not Vandalla which in 1819 became the capital. The town of "Croidon", in bold letters, was the capitol of Indiana before being moved to Indianapolis in 1825. Murfreesboro, in large type, is indicated as capital of Tennessee until the year 1826. All in all, a quintessential example of the schoolgirl map.
June 23, 2021
Anthony Finley. "Vermont." From A New General Atlas. Philadelphia: A Finley, 1827. 11 1/4 x 8 1/2. Engraving by Young & Delleker. Original hand coloring. Full margins. Framed. Very good condition. $275
In the 1820s, Anthony Finley produced a series of fine atlases in the then leading American cartographic center, Philadelphia. Finley's work is a good example of the quality that American publishers were beginning to obtain in the early decades of the century. He was very concerned to depict the most up-to-date information possible, and thus his map presents an accurate picture of Vermont in the 1820s. This map is elegantly presented, with crisp and clear engraving and very attractive pastel hand shading. Towns, rivers, and political divisions are indicated, and the bright color makes this map as attractive as it is informative.
Emma Hart Willard. "Map No. III. Italy, Greece, Asia Minor, Syria." From William C. Woodbridge & Emma H. Willard's Ancient Atlas to Accompany the Universal Geography. Hartford, CT: Oliver D. Cooke, 1827. 11 3/8 x 17 7/8. Engraving. Original hand color. Some transference, and circular stain in title area, not affecting focus of map. Good condition. $125
Emma Hart Willard (1787-1870) at the time of publication was Principal of the Troy Female Seminary, on Mount Ida in Troy, New York.
Willard was an American Women's Rights activist who dedicated her life to education. After working in several schools, she founded the Troy Female Seminary in 1821. In 1895, the school was renamed in her honor: Emma Willard School, and it continues to the present day.
George White. "Map of Vermont." Greenbush, VT: George White, ca. 1850. Engraving on paper mounted to canvas and varnished as originally issued. Browning in map due to old varnish. Some vertical cracking in map as to be expected. Original hand color. With original rollers. Good condition. $550
A small primitive hanging map of the state of Vermont by George White. Not much is known about White and his output but it appears that he stopped printmaking in the late 1850s. We can date this map post 1835 as the county of Lamoille appears in the map which was organized that year. Various counties are shaded in contrasting colors. White also issued an accompanying map of New Hampshire.
June 18, 2021
Abraham Munting (1626-1683). "Herba Viva Chinensis Arborescens." For Pytographia Curiosa. Amsterdam: 1702-13. 12 7/8 x 8 1/2 (plate mark) Folio. Full text and margins. Hand color. $325
This print is from one of the classic and most beautiful series of botanical illustrations done in the Seventeenth Century. Munting selected new plants that were brought to Europe from around the world by European merchantmen who enjoyed them for their color, their fragrance and their medicinal properties. Being the age of Baroque art the draughts men and engravers would have spontaneously added ribboned titles and aesthetically beautiful landscapes to make the prints more pleasing than the kind of black and white wood engravings that had preceded these in the Medieval Period of illustration.
Unattributed. [Noah's Ark]. 12 5/8 x 16 34. From a Supplement to the Encyclopédie of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert. Engraving supervised by Robert Benard, c. 1770.
This image is based on the Antiquités Judaïques (Antiquities of the Jews) by Flavius Josephus (37 - c. 100), a Jewish-Roman scholar who fought against the Romans in the First Jewish-Roman War, was captured, and became first a slave then a free Roman citizen. Two of his best known works were The Jewish War which described the Jewish revolt against Roman occupation (66 - 70) and Antiquities of the Jews, which gave a history of the world from a Jewish perspective and was intended for a Roman readership. These books provided valuable information about first century (C.E.) Judaism and the background of emerging Christianity.
The Encyclopédie, published in Paris between 1751 and 1772, was an example of the Enlightenment, intended to comprise all of the knowledge of the world.
Born in 1734, Robert Benard engraved some 1800 plates for the Encyclopédie. This plate indicates it was "supervised" by Benard. $350
Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau. Tom II. Pl. IX "Perdrigon Violet." From Traité des Arbres Fruitiers, nouvelle édition, augmenté d'un grand nombre d'espèces de fruits obtenus des progrès de la culture.... First Edition. Paris, 1768. Folio. Stipple engraving printed in color and finished by hand. Full margins. Excellent condition.
One example from anexquisite group of fruit prints done during the heyday of French botanical illustration. These elegant cuttings of ripe fruit, seen also in cross section and with their blossoms, were done from drawings by Aubriet, Mlle. Basseport and Le Berriays. They were then engraved by a group carefully picked artists. They are unusual and important for the uncommon talent and care that went into their making. These prints are a fine product of the period when botanical prints were just beginning to come into their own in France, all the more desirable for their rarity as fruit prints of the highest quality. They do indeed live up to their reputation of coming from one of the "finest and rarest books on fruit, with many beautiful plates." Ref.: Gordon Dunthorne, Flower & Fruit Prints of the 18th and early 19th centuries, p. 192. $225
Jacques Coelemans after Francisque Milet. "BACCHANALE." Paris: Mariette, 1744. 13 1/2 x 16 (platemarks). Line engraving. Margins. Time toning. A few abrasions on surface. $600
The print was made for a portfolio by Coelemans (b. Anvers 1654-d. Aix-en-Provence 1735) in celebration of the paintings and drawings in the collection of Jean-Baptiste Boyer d'Aguilles (1645-1709). Besides being a painter and engraver in his own right, Boyer was the head of a powerful family, and after his death, his wonderful collection of Renaissance art remained in the family. Jacques Coelemans being from the same province wished to commemorate his colleague's collection and flatter the family by including engravings of his pictures in the portfolio entitled Recueil d'estampes d'apres les tableaux des peintres des plus celebres d'Italie, des Pays-bas et de France (Paris: Pierre-Jean Mariette, 1744). The entire work is a beautiful and impressive compendium of fine art that also would have elevated French national pride in the age of Louis XV. The copy of this rare portfolio which we examined in The Free Library of Philadelphia was once owned by Joshua Reynolds, so it could have inspired similar works such as John Boydell's Houghton Gallery with its rich variety of prints after paintings in another great estate.
In "Bacchanale" the old god Bacchus lies intoxicated in a garden designed around a statue of Priapus. This picture by Francisque Milet (Anvers 1644- Paris 1680) is an ebullient emblem of the stupor induced by the pagan fertility cult. Ariadne (fruitful mother of barley) helps Bacchus hold his wine goblet while to the right a satyr rides away on an ass (symbol of lust), and to the left cherubs mount a ram (symbol of aggressiveness). The entire scene is ensconced with fruitful symbols of fertility such as grapes, wheat, nuts and an oak cluster on Bacchus' head.
Unattributed. [Central Park, N.Y., Preparing for a Drive] New York: Henry Schile & Co., 1874 17 3/4 x 24 1/4. Lithograph with original hand color. Black margins. $525
A charming and sentimental scene of motherly attendance and affection, set in beautiful Central Park, with the Bow Bridge and Rowboat Lake, complete with swans, in the background. This beautifully hand-colored lithograph was made by Henry Schile, one of hundreds of lithographic firms publishing in the United States at this period, the most famous of which was the firm of Currier and Ives.
June 11, 2021
"Map of Hudson's River, with the adjacent Country." From Gentleman's Magazine. London: David Henry & Francis Newbery, January, 1778. 11 5/8 x 8 3/8. Engraving. 3/8-1/2 horizontal loss of map expertly filled and in-painted. Else, good condition. $225
Beginning in 1731, monthly news magazines made their appearance in Britain. One of their most popular, and historically important, features was the inclusion of prints and maps to accompany their articles. During the American Revolution, these magazines issued a large number of maps in response to the great interest in the turbulent events in the colonies. This map, issued at the beginning of 1778, shows the region of most of the activity in the war during 1777. This map would undoubtedly have been studied avidly by its readers.
The area shown extends as far south as Philadelphia, to which Howe had moved in 1777, and as far north as Fort Ticonderoga, where Burgoyne had made a deceptively promising start to his great campaign down the Hudson from Canada. The Mohawk River is shown, down which a British support wing had attempted and failed to link up with Burgoyne. Of particular note is the insertion of a caption stating "Scene of Action on the Surrender," at Saratoga where Burgoyne's campaign came to its disastrous end. The map shows good information of towns, rivers, lakes, and other such features. This map would have fascinated the eighteenth century reader separated from the events of the conflict by many miles. So too this map fascinates the modern reader similarly separated from the events, though by many years rather than miles.
Between 1925 and 1943, Baker's beautiful ink and watercolor illustrations were published in the three-volume Examples of Maya pottery in the Museum and other collections (edited by G.B. Gordon and J. Alden Mason). Most likely the three volumes were sold by subscription in a limited edition, mostly purchased by museums, thus making these colorful and detailed prints scarce. Each plate is described in pencil upper right hand corner.
June 10, 2021
Prideaux John Selby is often called the British Audubon, for his magnificent work, Illustrations of British Ornithology, was the first British natural history to render all its subjects in their exact life size, as Audubon's was the first to do so for American birds. The connection actually goes deeper, for in 1826 Selby took lessons in technique from Audubon in Edinburgh, and this is evidenced in the marvelous skill with which Selby portrayed his subjects. In depicting the birds in their life size, Selby produced prints of a larger size than any other prints of the period than those of Audubon, whose prints followed shortly. Selby employed the best British engravers and colorists of the time, and the large size of the prints allowed the most advantageous display of the fine work for which these prints are known. Finely engraved, accurate in detail, wonderfully colored, and strong and dramatic in appearance, Selby's prints are some of the best figures of British birds that have ever been published... (C.E. Jackson, Bird Illustrators, p.33)
Benjamin H. Smith. "Map of Delaware County, Pennsylvania." Philadelphia: R.L. Barnes, 1862. For Delaware County Institute of Science. 17 3/4 x 20. Lithograph. Uncolored. Folding map dissected into 10 sections and mounted onto linen backing as originally issued. Minor staining in margins not affecting image. Else, very good condition. $400
A map that was included in the book, History of Delaware County, published in 1862. This fine and detailed map was issued at the time of the Civil War and depicts roads, rail lines, churches, post offices and other businesses in the county.
Ole Peter Hansen Balling (1823-1906). [Heroes of the Republic]. (General Grant and his Generals). New York: Ferdinand Mayer and Sons, 1867. 22 7/8 x 35 3/8. Chromolithograph. Margins trimmed to image and mounted on canvas. Numerous small areas of printed surface cracking and flaking on print edges with some in image, stabilized as best as possible, with some inpainting. Expect continued flaking over time. Sold as is. Scarce. Ref: Union Image, p.185. $1,200
As the Civil War moved into its final stages in the fall of 1864, the Norwegian artist Ole Peter Hansen Balling conceived of the idea for a large equestrian painting depicting the commander of the Union armies, Ulysses S. Grant, flanked by an array of generals who served under him. Upon completion, the painting would be used to raise funds for the United States Sanitary Commission, a private organization for aiding sick and wounded soldiers. To obtain likenesses of the twenty-seven figures in the picture, Balling traveled to Union army encampments to make life studies of his subjects. The final rendering of "Grant and His Generals," approached being life-sized. Balling also painted a smaller version, most likely to serve for the creation of this chromolithograph. Both paintings are in the National Portrait Gallery.
Generals depicted left to right: Thomas C. Devin; George A. Custer; Hugh J. Kilpatrick; William H. Emory; Philip H. Sheridan; James B. McPherson; George Crook; Wesley Merritt; George H. Thomas; Gouverneur Kemble Warren; George G. Meade; John G. Parke; William T. Sherman; John A. Logan; Ulysses S. Grant; Ambrose E. Burnside; Joseph Hooker; Winfield Scott Hancock; John A. Rawlins; Edward O. C. Ord; Francis Preston Blair; Alfred H. Terry; Henry W. Slocum; Jefferson C. Davis; Oliver O. Howard; John M. Schofield; Joseph A. Mower.
June 9, 2021
Jean François de Neufforge. Pl. 18. Développement de l'Ordre Composite ou Romain. From Recueil Élémentaire D'Architecture qui Représente Divers Exemples d'Eglises et Chapelles; des Grands Bâtiments depuis 12 Toises de face jusqu'à 120 plusieurs Décorations d'Apartements et Salles de Spectacles:... Paris: J.F. de Neufforge, 1767. Folio. Laid paper. Copper engraving by J.F. de Neufforge. Excellent condition. $250
From a group of handsome architectural studies and details drawn, engraved and published by J.F. de Neufforge. These are classically decorative images of building facades and plans, garden plans, drawings for fountains, gates and other architectural details. Each engraving demonstrates a balance between the simple lines of classic Greco-Roman architecture and the fine ornament and detail prevalent in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These delightful, delicately engraved prints are fine examples of the decoration of the period immediately preceding the American and French Revolutions.
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Asher B. Durand. "Dover Plains." [Dutchess County, NY]. New York, AAU, 1850. 6 7/8 x 10 1/4 (image) plus margins. Engraved by James Smillie. Two small repaired tears in margins not affecting image. Very good condition. $550
The American Art Union (AAU) is well known today for the thirty-six engravings it published based on the paintings of some of the most luminous names in American art, e.g. George Caleb Bingham, Thomas Cole, F.O.C. Darley, R.C. Woodville, Asher B. Durand, and William Sidney Mount. The association is especially important for the seminal role it played in stimulating American art and for spreading an awareness of this art throughout the country. With its gallery and thousands of subscribers, the AAU probably had more to do than any other force with the success of many of America's nineteenth century artists and the popularization of their work. The legacy of the American Art Union is immense and its prints are an important part of that heritage.
Asher B. Durand was born in New Jersey in 1796. From 1812 to 1817 he was apprenticed as an engraver to Peter Maverick, becoming a partner and working with Maverick until 1820. He mostly worked on banknotes and in copying English prints. In 1820 John Trumbull was looking for an engraver for his "Declaration of Independence" who would work for $3,000 instead of the $7,000 demanded by James Heath of London. The plate (29 11/16 x 30 1/4) took Durand three years to finish, but this established Durand as an American engraver of note.
Besides banknotes, portraits, the Declaration, and book illustrations, Durand engraved six plates for a projected series (never completed) titled "The American Landscape" and "Ariadne" after another painting by J. Vanderlyn. In 1835, Durand's interest turned from engraving to painting, and he soon became a leading member of the Hudson River School of artists. From 1845 to 1861, he served as president of the national Academy of Design, of which he was one of the founders.
Unattributed. "The Ministerial Side of the House of Commons." London: Illustrated London News, February 4, 1854. Supplement. 20 1/2 x 30 1/4. (image). Wood engraving. With folds as originally issued. Repaired tears in margins and two small holes in image filled and inpainted. Two small holes in left hand margin not affecting image. Else very good condition. $275
A fantastic and wonderfully detailed view of House of Commons. Beginning just before the middle of the nineteenth century, in England and then America, illustrated weekly newspapers made their appearance. These folio sized papers covered current events of local, national and international import, printed fiction and poetry by prominent authors, recounted gossip of note, described popular tourist sites, and generally were filled with stories on any subject that might be of interest to the reading public of the second half of the nineteenth century.
The popularity of these newspapers, however, was due to the manifold wood engraved prints which graced almost every page of the issues. These pictures provide us today with one of the best sources for lively and informative images of the period. With photographs in a primitive stage it is through these illustrations that the public got its visual information about the events, personalities and places of the time. These illustrations are also one of the few resources we have today for these same things. While originally issued in large numbers, few have survived the ages in good condition. The Illustrated London News was the first illustrated newspaper, beginning in 1842, and it continued to be the most influential throughout its life. It included genre subjects, portraits, views and many other fascinating images of nineteenth century America and Europe. This is an interesting, historical and very collectible print.
John Charlton. "The Islington Horse Show - A Scrimmage at the Hurdles." London: The Graphic, June, 8, 1878. 15 1/4 x 26 3/4 (image) plus margins. Wood engraving. With folds as originally issued. Professionally conserved and backed with rice paper. Slight staining under title. Else, very good condition. $250
Many events and subjects from the nineteenth century did not warrant the production of separately issued prints nor of published photographs. However, printed images of these events and subjects are, thankfully, available to us through the medium of the illustrated newspaper. These newspapers, usually issued weekly in England and America, were made possible by the development of wood engraving as a practical method of print making. These publications, filled with current text and a multitude of illustrations, became extremely popular from their first appearance with the Illustrated London News in 1842. This paper was followed in England by The Graphic in 1869. This source provides us with images of many facets of the nineteenth century which would not exist without these papers. This is a fine example of the output of one of the two most successful papers in England.
T. De Thulstrup. "General Grant's Funeral - The Processsion Passing up Fifth Avenue." New York: Harpers Weekly, Supplement, August 15, 1885. 19 3/4 x 19 1/2. Wood engraving. With folds as originally issued. Several repaired tears in margins with one into image. Some folds reinforced with archival tape. Else, very good condition. $325
T. De Thulstrup. "The House of Representatives." New York: Harper's Weekly, 1886. 14 1/2 x 19 3/4 (image). Wood engraving. Several old repaired tears on verso and one in bottom margin. Else, fine condition. $95
June 5, 2021
John L. Krimmel. "Procession of Victuallers of Philadelphia, on the 15th of March, 1821. Conducted under the direction of Mr. William White..." Philadelphia: Joseph Yeager, 1821-22. First edition. 14 3/8 x 23 1/2. Aquatint by J. Yeager. Printed by Charles Woodward Jr. Full original hand coloring. Four tears in image expertly repaired. Paper somewhat time-toned with some mottling. Expertly conserved and very good appearance. Deak: 331; Munsing: 33; Naeve: 105; Stauffer: 3438. $3,000
This splendid view of early Philadelphia prosperity was the work of a celebrated and popular artist of the period. John L. Krimmel was a native of Germany, who came to the United States in 1810, settling in Philadelphia, where he painted portraits, miniatures, and good-natured street and domestic scenes. This elaborate visual chronicle was one of his most celebrated works. It was an important enough painting to be taken over as the subject of three different prints, the first edition being this large and separately issued aquatint published around 1821-22. As the long caption to the print explains, the event being commemorated is the conveying to market of an especially fine and abundant 'harvest' of livestock. We are told that 100 carts were required to transport 86,731 pounds of beef, pork, lamb, etc., all of which was sold within 24 hours. The successful cattle merchants are named individually along with an account of their contributions. The significance of the event and the picture as the fruition of the city's economic success and encouragement of good works is summed up in the seal and motto, "We feed the hungry," that appears in the title line.
The print captures the details and animation of the event with great intricacy and enthusiasm. The view was drawn from Mathew Carey & Son's book shop, located at the southeast corner of Fourth and Chestnut Streets. The fully regaled butchers move triumphantly in procession down the street, riding amidst a long line of floats. They are cheered on by a dense crowd of onlookers romping along beside and hanging out of upper story windows. Faces, movements, clothes, are rendered in loving detail, as are the facades of the buildings. The varied and jovial coloring keeps up with the subject matter and graphic handling. For the moment it records, as well as the execution, this is one of the finest early Philadelphia prints.
W. Oliver Stone after Woolaston. "M. Washington." New York: J.C. Buttre, 1863. 25 7/8 x 18 7/8. Engraving by J.C. Buttre. Margins trimmed to image top and sides. One inch repaired tear into image expertly repaired. 19th century hand color. Old glue stain bottom right hand margin corners. Faint scattered foxing in image. Old slat back stains on back of print. Sold as is. Otherwise, fine condition. $275
A full length portrait of Martha Washington, drawn by W. Oliver Stone after an "original" painting by Woolaston. Martha is shown standing demurely in front of the porch at Mount Vernon, the Potomac River seen in the background. Mrs. Washington is shown as a young woman, yet with enough dignity to well accord her a share of the glory that was being showered on her husband in the mid-nineteenth century.
F.O.C. Darley (1822-1888). "The Last Words of Captain Nathan Hale, the Hero-Martyr of the American Revolution." Cincinnati: Henry Howe, 1861. From Adventures and Achievements of Americans by Henry Howe. 9 1/2 x 12 (paper). Engraving by Alexander Ritchie. Partial hand color. Two small chips in paper along top edge and tear in upper right corner repaired. Light staining in margins. Else, good condition. $175
A dramatic print of the hanging of Nathan Hale from a publication that contained a total of twelve prints illustrating the heroism, self-reliance, genius and enterprise of the American people. Born in Philadelphia, Felix Darley was one of America's first well known illustrators. He worked in both Philadelphia and New York before eventually settling in Claymont, Delaware. There he worked for the producing drawings for prints, magazines, and more than 200 books.
Thure De Thulstrup. "Battle of Kenesaw Mountain." Boston: American Lithographic Co., ca. 1890. 15 x 21 1/2 (image). Chromolithograph. Full margins. Very good condition. $350
A detailed print of the Battle of Kenesaw Mountain in Georgia on 27 June 1864, the last general engagement made between troops under Sherman and Johnston prior to the battles around Atlanta. This print was first issued by Boston's Prang firm, and then reissued a few years later by the American Lithographic Co. The image was made by chromolithography, where each color was printed by a separate stone. Well detailed and finely colored, this is an excellent print that would have been sold to veterans of the great conflict.
J.O. Davidson. "Battle of Port Hudson. Passing the River Batteries." Boston: American Lithographic Co., ca. 1890. 15 x 21 1/2 (image). Chromolithograph. Full margins. Upper left hand margin corner chipped, not affecting image. Expertly, repaired tears in bottom just touching image. Else, very good condition. $275
Smoke and fire pervade Davidson's image of the costly Union victory at Port Hudson. In a nearly crippling exchange of mortar, the Confederates only managed to slow Admiral Farragut's fleet (including his flagship, the Hartford) as they moved upriver, past the Louisiana fort to safety. Fascinatingly, Davidson mixes sympathies by painting the scene from the Confederate point of view. This print was first issued by Boston's Prang firm, and then reissued a few years later by the American Lithographic Co. The image was made by chromolithography, where each color was printed by a separate stone. Well detailed and finely colored, this is an excellent print that would have been sold to veterans of the great conflict.
Charles Magnus. "Declaration of Independence." New York: Magnus, 1855-70. Engraving. 7 1/2 x 8 (image) plus borders. Two sheet writing paper. $150
Charles Magnus was a prolific publisher of maps and prints before, during and after the American Civil War. Many of his Civil War images were promotional publications used by newspapers to be given away or included with other publications. Images were also used for letter heads and envelopes such as this fine example. In the 1850s much graphic material was published to keep the states together, and during the war, it evolved into Northern propaganda. After the war such images were used to bind the wounds and achieve reconciliation as the nation approached its centennial in 1876.
Unattributed. [Fraternal Order of Eagles Record of Membership Certificate]. Terra Haute, Indiana: J. M Vickroy, 1902. 26 x 20 1/4 (image). Chromolithograph. Expertly repaired tears in margins with some scattered wrinkling in paper. Else, very good condition. $425
The Fraternal Order of Eagles, is an international non-profit organization, unites fraternally in the spirit of liberty, truth, justice, and equality, to make human life more desirable by lessening its ills, and by promoting peace, prosperity, gladness and hope.
The Fraternal Order of Eagles was founded in 1898 by six theater owners in Seattle. They met to discuss a musicians' strike and formed a fraternal organization selecting the bald eagle as the official emblem and the name "The Fraternal Order of Eagles". Most early members were actors, stagehands and playwrights. The organization's appeal is attributed to its funeral benefits the provision of an chapter physician, and other membership benefits. The Eagles pushed for the founding of Mother's Day, provided the impetus for social security and pushed to end job discrimination based on age. The Eagles have provided financial support for medical centers across the United States and Canada.
A. Merchant. "Think. Then Submit Your Good Idea. Awards for Suggestions Adopted." No publication information or date. Ca. 1942. 19 x 14 (image). Several pin holds in margin corners and just into image. Crease top right corner. Else, good condition. $75
June 4, 2021
L. Maurer. "Trotting Cracks' On The Snow." New York Currier & Ives, 1858. 16 1/2 x 27 3/4. Lithograph. Full, rich original hand color. Large folio. Margins trimmed to neat lines top and sides. Narrow margin at top. Expertly repaired chip in image left hand side. Expertly repaired tear in top left hand corner of image with a small portion of sky and margin at top filled and expertly in-painted. Else, very good condition. C:6170. $4,500
From 1834 to 1907 the firm of Currier & Ives provided for the American people a pictorial history of their country's growth from an agricultural society to an industrialized one. For nearly three quarters of a century the firm provided "Colored Engravings for the People" and in the process, because of the democratic philosophy of the business, became the visual raconteurs of nineteenth-century America. Nathaniel Currier established the firm in 1834, producing hand colored pictures using a then relatively new process called lithography. Some of the finest artists of the day, Louis Maurer, Thomas Worth, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait, Frances Flora Bond Palmer, George H. Durrie, Napoleon Sarony, Charles Parsons, and J. E. Butterworth were engaged by the firm to produce a variety of images.
The firm of Currier & Ives gained its reputation for producing two types of prints-"rush" prints that provided immediate visual reporting of major newsworthy events, and "stock" prints depicting every subject relating to American life: sports, games, home life, religion, entertainment, views of cities, and so forth. The latter prints, which included generic scenes of American homes and farmyards, were amongst the most endearing and enduring of the firm's work. This print is an archetypal Currier & Ives image, expressing the qualities for which their work is best known. It was drawn by Louis Maurer, a German immigrant who produced some of Currier & Ives most enduring images such as this classic winter scene.
John Faed. "Washington Receiving a Salute on the Field of Trenton." "Go. Washington." [facsimile signature]. New York: National Art Association of New York, 1865. 23 1/2 x 17 1/2. Steel engraving by William Holl. Excellent impression. Large margins. Bottom right hand corner of margin chipped and expertly replaced. Otherwise, very good condition. Eisen, II, 554. $1,800
John Faed (1820-1902) was a prominent English painter who made several portraits of Washington in the course of which he modified the face using both Trumbull and Stuart. This strong image of Washington on a charger, reviewing the troops, is a wonderful portrait with exquisite landscape. Eisen says that the engraver is "Hall" and that he worked for the Kendall Bank Note Company in New York at 285 Broadway during the nineteenth century. We doubt that the engraver mispelled his own name, so this print is done by William Holl (1807-1871) who worked with portraiture in London. Below the title is an explanation that this print was designed to be a premium with a purchase of one of Benson Lossing's books.
Christian Schussele. "Franklin Before The Lords In Council, Whitehall Chapel, London 1774. This engraving from the Original Painting is respectfully Dedicated to the People of the United States by the Publisher." Philadelphia: John M. Butler, 1860. 27 x 39 1/4 (image) plus margins. Steel engraving by Robert Whitechurch. Full hand color. Print backed with archival paper. Two repaired tears in bottom margin not affecting image. Four small areas of loss in bottom portion of image and into bottom margin expertly filled and inpainted. Else, very good condition. $2,200
In June of 1773, the House of Representatives in Massachusetts petitioned the crown for the removal from office of Governor Hutchinson. Benjamin Franklin, as an agent of that body, was assigned the task of presenting its demand in London. This was in response to letters written by Hutchinson, intercepted by Franklin and sent to Boston, in which Hutchinson stated that England must do something to prevent the state from separating from Britain. This print shows Franklin's appearance before the Privy Council at the Cockpit in Whitehall on January 29, 1774. Franklin was in an embarrassing position for he was British deputy postmaster general in North America and also a spokesman for the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Every member of the Privy council attended and spectators came in numbers. News of the Boston Tea Party arrived in London at this time and there was a lot of anti-American feeling. Attending were Lord North and General Gage. Franklin himself did not speak, but was represented by two lawyers who strongly urged the removal of Hutchinson. This was rejected and Franklin was ridiculed and deprived of his position as deputy postmaster general. Franklin stayed in London for another fourteen months to try to ease the strain between England and the colonies, but it was after this event that Franklin saw himself as an American and not as an Englishman.
June 2, 2021
Mother Goose prints by Frederick Richardson. From Eulalie Osgood Grover's Mother Goose. Chicago: Vollard & Co., 1915. 9 x 7. Color screen prints. Images on both sides of sheet. A few with marginal blemishes, but overall, very good condition. Enquire about particular prints.
Classic nursery rhyme prints drawn by Frederick Richardson, an American illustrator who studied in St. Louis and Paris and taught at the Chicago Art Institute. He is famous for his illustrations for L. Frank Baum and for various children's tales and nursery rhymes. These are terrific examples of his work, each vividly illustrating a rhyme, a verse for which is included in the image. $45 each
John Singleton Copley. "The Death of Major Peirson and the defeat of the French troops in the market place of St Helier's in the island of Jersey Jany 6, 1781." London: John & Josiah Boydell, April 25, 1796. 22 1/2 x 30 5/8 (image). Engraved by James Heath, Historical Engraver to his Majesty. Margins mostly trimmed to image with remnants of bottom margin with partial lettering of artist, publication information and engraver below image. Small portion of upper right hand corner missing. Excellent, crisp strike. Print has been professionally conserved and entire print lined with rice paper. Else, good condition. $975
This 18th century print is after John Singleton Copley's famous painting "The Death of Major Peirson" executed 1782-84. The original oil painting, now in the Tate Gallery, London, celebrated an incident in the town square of St. Helier on the Channel Isle of Jersey. French forces had almost taken the town and island when a young Major Francis Peirson rallied the British forces, counterattacked, and drove the invaders off. At the moment of victory, the youthful officer was killed, and this picture showed him being carried from the field amid the excitement and terror of battle.
Charles Auguste de Steuben 1788-1856. "Napoleon's Return from the Isle of Elba, March 7th, 1815." Most likely published in London by G. Dawe, ca. 1875. 16 3/4 x 21 1/2 (image) plus margins. Engraved by George Sanders. Original hand color. Some small scattered spotting in image in area of Napoleon's raised hand. Small water stain bottom right margin corner not affecting image. Else, very good condition. $500
A dramatic, striking and colorful print showing Napoleon greeting French soldiers and citizens after his escape from the island of Elba.
We have more prints of Napoleon and French history online.
June 1, 2021
Joseph Pennell (1857-1926). "The Reality of our Dreams." [1893]. 12 x 8 1/2. Original goauche illustration on paper for article, "To Gypsyland," published by The Century Company. Signed in upper right corner. No date. Professionally conserved and backed with archival paper. Top right corner chipped. Some cracking in gouache in thigh area with small loss of painted surface. Else, good condition. With original label of The Century Company. $1,200
An original gouache drawing by Joseph Pennell to accompany his wife's article, "To Gypsyland" published by The Century Company in 1893. Most likely this illustration accompanied twenty-nine other such illustrations executed by Pennell for a book by the same title written by his wife Elizabeth Robins Pennell.
The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine was one of the most successful long-running (1881-1930) "General Interest" publications in American history. Originally published as Scribner's Monthly, it was renamed The Century Magazine after the death of book publisher, Charles Scribner. The magazine was able to combine relevant topics of the time with fiction and poetry with illustrations with some of the best well known writers and illustrators of the time.
The Century wanted to publish a collection of Pennell's Philadelphia views and sent a young author, Elizabeth Robins, to write the text. Their article, "A Ramble in Old Philadelphia," was published in 1882 and two years later they were married. They then collaborated on books and articles for the next forty years. Joseph Pennell did many illustrations for The Century during the late 1880s and early 1890s.
A contemporary review of the book, To Gypsyland, stated: "The author is a niece of Charles G. Leland of Philadelphia, who has made gypsies and gypsy lore the study of his life. Mrs. Pennell imbibed the love of the Romany people from her uncle, and while a young girl, living in Philadelphia, she began her search in quest for the genial gypsy. The books, is in the main, an account of the travels of Mr. and Mrs. Pennell through Hungary. The plaintive impassioned music of the Romany Czardas is in the words moving, no to laughter and now to tears." A part of "To Gypsyland" was published in the The Century, the new matter includes thirty illustrations by Mr. Pennell.
F[elix] O[ctavius] C[arr] Darley. N.A. "On the March to the Sea." Other credits read, "Engraved by A.H. Ritchie" and published by L. Stebbins according to copyright notice of 1868 in the District Court of the United States for Connecticut. Steel engraving. 25 x 40 1/4 (image) plus margins. A vignette bust portrait of W.T. Sherman is in the lower title area. Significant accordion type ten inch tear extending from top into sky. Short margins right and left but sufficient for framing. Print has been professionally conserved. Else, good condition. $600
Darley's dramatic and well drawn depiction of William Tecumseh Sherman's famous "March to the Sea" shows a scene from a campaign that had been a deciding factor in the closing days of the Civil War. Grant was facing stalemate on the eastern front, and as the battlefield deaths mounted, the re-election of Lincoln was in danger due to war weariness. Once Sherman's western army captured Atlanta, Lincoln's leadership of the Republican Party was no longer seriously questioned. An aggressive campaign to take Savannah as quickly as possible instead of Augusta or Charleston became the famous "March to the Sea" in which a wide swath of destruction was made to terrorize the southern citizens as well as destroy the ability to wage war.
This picture focuses on Union troops destroying the railroad tracks with hearty expertise while around them freed slaves flee in terror and buildings burn. In the background a burning bridge is probably the Oconee River passage that was destroyed by Gen. Slocum prior to the convergence of the two main columns on Milledgeville. Such a depiction is one part of a controversy that carries on among historians to this day. The ferocity of Sherman's campaign has been condemned and defended. This print was issued at a time when Sherman was being considered as a presidential candidate for the election of 1868. His superior officer, U.S. Grant, gained the nomination, but this piece of historical Americana illustrates the strong emotions that supported Sherman at that time. Many still consider Sherman the very best strategist of the Civil War. Regional differences will always play a part in that consideration.
May 3, 2021
Pietro Andrea Mattioli. "Cucurbita." From de Materia Medica. Venice: 1554. Folio. Latin text. Woodcut. Later hand color. Very good condition. $450
The first edition of the "grand Mattioli" was published in Italian in 1544 and the first Latin edition in 1554.
Pietro Andrea Mattioli. "Poma Adami." From de Materia Medica. Venice: 1554. Folio. Latin text. Woodcut. Later hand color. Very good condition. $450
The first edition of the "grand Mattioli" was published in Italian in 1544 and the first Latin edition in 1554.
Pietro Andrea Mattioli. "Medica Malus." From de Materia Medica. Venice: 1554. Folio. Latin text. Woodcut. Later hand color. Very good condition. $450
The first edition of the "grand Mattioli" was published in Italian in 1544 and the first Latin edition in 1554.
Pietro Andrea Mattioli. "Pomi di Adamo." From I Discorsi... nelli sei libri di Pedacio Dioscoridi Anazarbeo della materia medicinale. Hora di nuovo dal suo istesso autore ricorretti, & in più di mille luoghi aumentati. Venice: Vincenzo Valgrisi, 1568. Folio. Woodcut. Later hand color. Light discoloration at right, into image. Else, very good condition. $450
From the second of the Valgrisi Venice editions of the "grand Mattioli" with the full series of the magnificent large woodcuts and the first Italian edition so illustrated. The first edition was published in Italian in 1544 and the first Latin edition in 1554. The first Valgrisi edition of 1565 is the first containing Mattioli's fuller notes.
April 28, 2021
"Cap: St. Augustini," [Pieter Vander Aa]? Copper engraving. Only text besides title is "Cum Privilegio" and "A Mijir feci." Amsterdam, ca. 1670s-1710. 8 5/8 x 10 7/8 (platemarks) plus wide margins on laid paper. Manuscript notations at bottom, right platemark reading "22" and "a." Excellent condition. $1,400
An unusual and fascinating depiction of American Indians. The people are an idealized woman with lovely small children at her breasts and a man seated beside a box with unidentified objects which when laid out on a mat appear to be some variety of food or plugs of tobacco. Behind the man is a llama and the woman is either a palm leaf house or a stack of some product. Here is the ideal vision of the New World.
Three locations named some form of Saint Augustine are recorded as being in the New World-two in Latin America and one in Florida, North America. The llama suggests South America, but many views and allegories showed palm trees in New England during these times. So until some textual evidence definitely states what is depicted, this print illustrates people and products while the land names and configurations changed with political and personal whims of the times.
Howard Chandler Christy. "Americans All! Victory Liberty Loan." Boston: Forbes, 1919. 40 x 27. Lithograph. Margins trimmed to image as issued. Two 1 1/4 x 5/8 inch holes (lower left hand side and in dress) filled and in-painted with several minor repaired tears along edges. Two horizontal soft folds. Else, fine condition. $300
The V loan was launched in April 1919, more than 5 months after the war ended. But 2 million men were still overseas and the government needed more money. The illustration is an allegorical "Christy Girl" standing in front of the American flag, holding a wreath over an "Honor roll" consisting of last names from different ethnicities who had family perish in combat. Christy began as a war artist following Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders in Cuba. Preferring the depiction of pretty girls over men at war, his "Christy Girl" took her place in the mind of America and countless calendars, magazine covers, book illustrations and collectibles.
John G. Exilious. "South East View of Pennsylvania Hospital." Philadelphia, 1814. Restrike ca. 1920s? 11 5/8 x 18 1/4. Engraving by Exilious. Printer C.P. Harrison. Full margins. Mounted on board, otherwise excellent condition. Ref: Phillips, Maps and Views of Philadelphia: 274; Drepperd, Early American Prints, p.94; Thomas G. Morton, The History of the Pennsylvania Hospital (1895), pp. 328-30. $675
A rare, and finely executed engraving of Pennsylvania Hospital by local landscape painter John G. Exilious, who worked in Philadelphia from 1810 to 1814. In 1810, he was one of the founders of the Society of Artists. This view of Pennsylvania Hospital is his largest and finest engraving. It shows the hospital from the south east, with the entire building nicely illustrated behind its brick wall. In the foreground Exilious has included an interesting street scene, with a sick man being carried into the hospital by three men. Below the image is a remarque vignette of the Good Samaritan, under which is the caption, "Take care of him and I will repay thee." Exilious had previously been a patient at the hospital, and he seems to have produced this print as a financial venture. The cost of the project was $250, and 80 impressions were originally made.
The plate exists today at the Pennsylvania Hospital, and restrikes have been struck from it over the decades. Judging from the paper used, the strength of the impression, and the age of this one, it was struck in the early twentieth century. The 1920s is the most appropriate time for this kind of activity to have taken place since prints and reproductions were very popular in the decade between World War I and the Great Depression.
J.J. Grandville. From Les Fleurs Animées. Paris: Garnier Frères, [1867]. Octavo: images are ca. 7 x 5 1/2 inches. Steel engravings by Ch. Geoffroy. Original hand-coloring. Very good condition.
We have more prints from this series online. Please call or email for more information.
April 23, 2021
Willem (Guiljemus) Blaeu. "Tabula Magellanica, qua Tierrae del fuego, cum celeberrimis fretis a F. Magellano et I. Le Maire detectis novissima et accuratissima description exhibetur." Amsterdam, (1635) 1642-43.Engraving. Outline color to decorative cartouches. 16 1/4 x 20 3/4 (platemarks) plus complete but narrow margins. Dutch text on verso. Peter van der Krogt, 9950:2B. Strong strike. Excellent condition. $875
This map marks a major improvement in the cartographic depiction of South America. In 1519 Ferdinand Magellan discovered the straits between the continent and Tierra del Fuego, but he did not realize that the land to the south was an island. Therefore many sixteenth century maps showed a huge continent south of the straits. Jacques Le Maire (d. 1616), sailed with Jan Cornelis Schouten in 1615-1616 to the south Atlantic on a voyage that discovered the Juan Fernandex Islands. Le Maire's work on the voyage enabled him to record and name the LeMaire Strait between "Magellanica" and "Staten Landt" after his father. Thereafter Tierra del Fuego would be depicted as an island.
This map shines not only in its interesting cartographic history, but also in its decorative appeal. It is a particularly fine example of the aesthetics of 17th-century Dutch cartography. The elegant calligraphy and compass roses combine with the ships in the sea and the rhumb lines are wonderful embellishments. The title and scale cartouches, the latter which shows half-naked natives, add a final flourish that makes the map a delight to look at. All in all an historic map that is a very fine decorative example of the great age of Dutch cartography.
John Edwards. "Amaranthus Tricolor." From A Collection of Flowers drawn after Nature . . . London: 1793. Plate mark: 13 x 9 7/8. Sheet: 20 1/8 x 14. Hand colored engraving by Edwards. Very good condition. Dunthorne: 105; Great Flower Books (1990) p. 93. $650
John Edwards (1742-1815), a member of the Royal Academy, was a skilled artist and designer. The British Herbal was a work of botanical illustrations issued monthly, "containing the most beautiful and scarce flowers and useful medicinal plants, which blow in the open air of Great Britain; with their Botanical characters also a short account of their cultivation &c." In total there were 100 finely engraved and hand-colored prints, each depicting a single species.
The work from which this print comes, his masterpiece, was his next publishing venture. He began to publish designs for the work in 1783, with plates being periodically completed throughout the 1780s and into the following decade. Unlike his previous work, all plates are designed, etched and colored by Edwards himself, which process gave him complete control over the publication.
John Edwards. "Althae Frutrex." From A Collection of Flowers drawn after Nature . . . London: 1793. Plate mark: 13 1/4 x 9 7/8. Sheet: 20 7/8 x 14 1/2. Hand colored engraving by Edwards. Very good condition. Dunthorne: 105; Great Flower Books (1990) p. 93. $650
John Edwards (1742-1815), a member of the Royal Academy, was a skilled artist and designer. The British Herbal was a work of botanical illustrations issued monthly, "containing the most beautiful and scarce flowers and useful medicinal plants, which blow in the open air of Great Britain; with their Botanical characters also a short account of their cultivation &c." In total there were 100 finely engraved and hand-colored prints, each depicting a single species.
The work from which this print comes, his masterpiece, was his next publishing venture. He began to publish designs for the work in 1783, with plates being periodically completed throughout the 1780s and into the following decade. Unlike his previous work, all plates are designed, etched and colored by Edwards himself, which process gave him complete control over the publication.
April 17, 2021
[A. Courtois.] "Het Kloosterken van Kleyn Loretten in Noord-America." ("Little Loretto.") Mechelen, Belgium: P. J. Hanicq, 1818. Engraving. Original hand color. Very good condition. See Edgar Breitenbach, "Little Loretto, Kentucky," in American Printmaking Before 1876: Fact, Fiction and Fantasy. (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 1972), and William C. Reese Company, New Haven, CT, Catalogue 304. $2,400
In 1804 a Belgian-born priest, Charles Nerinckx (1761-1824), came to the United States. After studying briefly with the Jesuits at Georgetown, he was assigned to join seven other priests on the Kentucky frontier. Nerinckx was instrumental in establishing the Sisters of Loretto (formally, "Friends of Mary at the Foot of the Cross"), a teaching order of Catholic Sisters that was the first such religious congregation founded in the United States. In order to raise funds for a projected convent and school in Marion County, Nerinckx travelled back home in 1806/07 and engaged an artist named Courtois of Malines, Belgium, to create a view of the proposed little settlement. What emerged was a blend of the architectural and the fanciful. The buildings appear to correspond to the community as it eventually took shape, but the setting includes an alpine range in the background and palm trees scattered about! A key to the intended use of the buildings was appended in Flemish, French and English. A second version of this earliest view of a Kentucky settlement was published about 1816.
At the time of Nerinckx's final fund-raising visit home in 1818, a new plate was made for advertising purposes, and this print is from that plate. Courtois' name was removed and the explanatory text telling of the history of the mission, appealing for donations, and providing a key to the buildings is only in the Flemish version of Dutch. The key explains the aspects of the locale this way: a: convent and chapel, the only two-story building (note graveyard behind); b: the school; c: the kitchen and refectory; d: the courtyard; e: house of the sisters" servant; f: guesthouse and hospital; g: priest's house; h: house and kitchen of priest's cook; i: stables; k: main gates. In the center of the group of buildings the Sisters are depicted on their knees facing Mary, whose heart is being pierced with a sword and whose expansive cloak is being held by angels so that it protectively envelopes the Sisters. Mary stands at the foot of the cross bearing her bleeding son, while banners proclaiming "Jesus" and "Marie" float above the scene.
By 1824, Father Nerinckx had become exhausted from his work and his conflicts with both a younger priest, Father Chabrat, and with the bishop in Bardstown. He relocated to Missouri, dying that same year. Chabrat ordered the Sisters to relocate from their original settlement and destroyed his predecessor's books and papers. The Sisters obeyed, but burned down all the buildings save for the priest's house, to prevent the place being turned to a secular use. The Sisters continue to this day with the mission to "work for justice and act for peace because the Gospel urges us."
This wonderful view is a rare example of early Kentucky history and of frontier America of the period generally.
Hugh Reinagle. "Macdonough's Victory on Lake Champlain, And Defeat Of The British Army At Plattsburg By Genl. Macomb, Septr. 11th. 1814." Philadelphia: Benjamin Tanner, July 4th, 1816. 17 1/8 x 24 3/4. Engraving by B. Tanner. Printed by Rogers & Esler. Considerable repairs to many tears and filling of surface all expertly repaired. Old stains. Otherwise strong impression. Reference: Donald H. Mugridge: Album of American Battle Art; #44. $2,800
A superb, rare image of one of the major land and sea battles of the War of 1812. This separately issued print is based on a painting by Hugh Reinagle and was engraved and published by Benjamin Tanner two years after the event. Reinagle, a Philadelphia native, was better known as a landscape and genre painter, but in this image he superbly captures the events of this important battle.
Reinagle's image shows the naval battle from Macomb's position on the bluffs. The main engagement is in the center, with smaller ships fighting at the sides. The burning of Plattsburgh is shown in the distance, while in the foreground are depicted several American officers and a number of spectators, including several boys and a dog. Separately issued prints such as this, issued without the protection of a binding and in small numbers, are very rare today, and this is a superior example of this wonderful historic document.
After John Trumbull. "The Battle Of Bunker's Hill, June 17th 1775." From The United States Military Magazine. Philadelphia: Huddy & Duval, 1840. Lithograph by A. Hoffy. 7 5/8 x 10 3/4 (image). Narrow right hand margin and two repaired tears in left hand margin not affecting image. Minor smudging in title area. Print has been professionally conserved. Otherwise, very good condition. Rare. $600
The rare and fascinating magazine entitled, The United States Military Magazine and Record of all the Volunteers, together with the Army and Navy, was published in Philadelphia by Huddy & Duval from 1839 to 1841. Volume I dealt with volunteer companies, volume II with the exploits of the United States Army & Navy, and volume III with more volunteers. Issues were sold either colored for $1.00 or plain for 50 cents. This is a fine rendering of Trumbull's classic image of the Battle of Bunker's Hill, lithographed by Alfred Hoffy, one of the leading American lithographers of the first part of the nineteenth century.
"Declaration of Independence in Congress July 4th: 1776." Subtitle: "The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America." Curving around the bottom, "The Great Centennial Memorial." Two portraits: full length of Washington in center and bust of Thomas Jefferson at base. At the base of the grapevine surround, are a pair of quill pens with the credit reading, "The Original Designed and Executed by Gilman R. Russell Prof. of Penmanship." Between the portraits is the copyright notice of 1866 entered by Gilman Russell in the District Court of the East Dist. of Pennsylvania." Lithograph. 25 3/4 x 17 3/4 (full sheet). Deckle edge on all four sides of the sheet. Not in Bidwell. $4,500
Printed in the year after the end of the American Civil War, this profound copy among many of the Declaration of Independence is beautiful in design and thought. Featuring both Washington and Jefferson in portraiture, angels and flags along the top and celebratory grapevines around the bottom encircling credit to Gilman R. Russell, who was a professor of Penmanship. During the War Prof. Russell had created another folio sheet to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation.
Tompkins Harrison Matteson. "The Spirit of - 76." Philadelphia, 1862. Mezzotint and etching on steel by H.S. Sadd. 15 7/8 x 19. Trimmed to image at top and sides and just under title at bottom. Some scattered surface abrasions, but image bright and crisp. $450
A classic picture of the soldier gallantly going off to war for family and country. The man of the family accepts a rifle from his elderly father and a sword from his mother. His distraught wife kneels before him while buckling his belt, and his eldest child holds his powder horn. His infant child sleeps in the arms of a nursemaid who holds a copy of the Declaration of Independence, while in the left background a soldier comes to the door bearing the call to arms. Implements of domestic life are scattered about the house interior to signify that they are to be left behind.
This print was published when the American Civil War was completing its second year, and the toll of death and destruction was making recruitment of troops more difficult. Reminding the populace of the heroism of the revolution that founded the country was a way to illustrate the necessity of continuing the heroism. We have seen this picture in later printings, but never before with the notation that it was given by newsboys to subscribers. Customarily given at Christmas time, the print would have been designed to encourage recruitment to military service with the intention to enlist and train men and boys for the coming Spring campaigns. A fascinating look at a patriotic appeal to not only Philadelphians but all Americans during the Civil War.
P.S. Duval & Co. "Washington Mills Gloucester N.J. near Philadelphia." From Colton's Atlas of America. New York: J.H. Colton & Co., 1856. 16 1/4 x 24 3/4. Lithograph. Full margins. $750
A lovely, detailed view of the Washington Mills on the Delaware in Gloucester, N.J. from one of the most interesting publications on Philadelphia, J.H. Colton's mid-century Philadelphia Commercial Edition of the Atlas of America. Besides containing fine maps of North and South America, this volume included numerous advertisements for Philadelphia firms, both large and small. These have become a rare and prized part of the history of Philadelphia prints. This print is of the Washington Mills in Gloucester, N.J.. The mills are shown from the middle of the Delaware, the river brimming with vessels of all sorts. Below the view is a text advertisement for David S. Brown & Co., cloth merchants for Washington Mills and other manufacturers.
Daniel Giraud Elliot. "Sharp-Tailed Grouse." From Monograph of the Tetraoninae, or Family of the Grouse. New York: Daniel Giraud Elliot, 1865. 12 3/8 x 20 1/4 (image). Lithograph by Bowen. Original hand color. Very faint mat burn in margins not affecting image. Else, very good condition. $650
This beautiful image of a grouse is from one of Daniel Giraud Elliot's great natural history monographs. Elliot (1835-1915) was an American zoologist and one of the founders of the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Elliot published a series of color-plate books on birds and animals and commissioned natural history artists Joseph Wolf and Joseph Smit who also worked for John Gould. Elliot's other publications are A Monograph of the Paradiseidae or Birds of Paradise (1873), A Monograph of the Felidae or Family of Cats (1878) and Review of the Primates (1913). Prints from this series are considered to be the finest issued by Elliot with each bird depicted in its natural habitat. Sacheverell Sitwell, in his book Fine Bird Books, considers these prints to be "the equal in every way to any work by Gould." p.53.
Mark Catesby. "The Rattle Snake." From Gentleman's Magazine. London: Edward Cave, 1753. 4 1/4 x 7 1/2 (image). Copper engraving. Original hand color. Small 1/4 inch portion of printed surface at bottom missing and in-painted. With light transference of text from preceding page. Else, good condition. $175
Following the death of Mark Catesby in 1749, interest in his pictures of American flora and fauna continued beyond issuing reprints of his original plates. The most unusual and scarce are the woodcuts and engravings that appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine in the early 1750s. Frick and Stearns have stated that Edward Cave, the editor, "found Catesby's birds and plants worth printing [thus] demonstrated a popular interest in these things, which, in the form in which they were first published, were beyond the financial capacities of most men." Mark Catesby: The Colonial Audubon, p. 100. This print represents an early editing of Catesby's work.
"Caldwell, (Lake George.)" New York: Kellogg & Thayer, and Hartford: E.B. & E.C. Kellogg, ca. 1846-47. 8 x 11 1/2. Small folio. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. $275
From about 1830 through the rest of the century, the Kellogg brothers, in various partnerships among themselves and with others, published popular lithographs in Hartford, Connecticut. These firms issued the second largest number of decorative prints intended for the American public, surpassed only by their New York rivals, Currier & Ives, producing thousands of lithographs, most hand-colored, which ended up in the homes and work places of Americans. The Kelloggs' prints were typical of the popular print style: colorful, affordable and with images covering much the same range of topics as those of their New York counterpart. Subjects included portraits, historical events, scenes of daily life, views, religious themes, politics, sports, animals, sentimental images and any other topic that might be of interest to the American public.
"Summer Evening." New York: Currier & Ives, 1872-74. Small folio. 8 x 12 1/2. C:5853. Light stain in top margin, not affecting image. $450
"View from Fort Putnam. West Point, Hudson River, N.Y." New York: Currier & Ives, 1872-74. Small folio. 8 x 12 1/2. C:6380. $675
April 14, 2021
William Shakespeare. "All's Well that Ends Well." Page 239-240. Single leaf from The Works of William Shakespeare. London: Smethwick, J., Aspley, W., Hawkins, Richard, & Meighan, Richard, 1632. (1632). Second folio edition. 13 1/8 x 9 (paper). Old 1/4 inch tape stain left hand margin with binding holes not affecting text. Otherwise, very good condition. $275
William Shakespeare. "The Fifth Part of King Henry the Fourth." Page 53-54. Single leaf from The Works of William Shakespeare. London: Smethwick, J., Aspley, W., Hawkins, Richard, & Meighan, Richard, 1632. (1632). Second folio edition. 13 1/8 x 9 (paper). Old 1/4 inch tape stain left hand margin with binding holes all not affecting text. Three printer's wrinkles at bottom with two just into text. Small stain in text. Light old ink in top margin of page 54; not affecting text. Otherwise, very good condition. $250
J.B.E. Pohl. Plate 160. "Moldenhawera cuprea." From Plantarium Brasiliae Icones . . . Vienna: A. Strauss, 1827-31. 12 3/4 x 10 1/4 (image). 12 1/2 x 8 1/4. Lithograph. Very good condition. Dunthorne 226; Great Flower Books p. 70. $275
J.B.E. Pohl. Plate 14. "Manihot quinqueloba." From Plantarum Brasiliae Icones . . . Vienna: A. Strauss, 1827-31. 12 3/4 x 8 1/4. Lithograph. Fine condition. Staining in upper right hand side and corner away from image. Else, good condition. Dunthorne 226; Great Flower Books p. 70. $225
J.B.E. Pohl. Plate 48. "Manihot laciniosa." From Plantarum Brasiliae Icones . . . Vienna: A. Strauss, 1827-31. Lithograph. Very good condition. Dunthorne 226; Great Flower Books p. 70. $275
Prints from a finely drawn series on plants of Brasil. The prints from this series are lithograph which were drawn with a fine pen on the lithographic stones in order to successfully imitate the quality of an engraved line. Botanist Johann Pohl spent most of his life in Prague and Vienna, and is most remembered for his work on the flora of Brazil. Pohl's published works include Reise im Innern von Brasilien (Travels into the Interior of Brazil, two volumes, 1832 and 1837) and the Plantarum Brasiliae icones et descriptiones, (also two volumes, 1826-1828 and 1828-1833).
Winslow Homer. "The Nooning." New York: Harper's Weekly, 1873. 9 x 13 3/4. Wood engraving. Very good condition. Beam: 200. $375
Winslow Homer. "Dad's Coming!" New York: Harper's Weekly, 1873. 9 1/8 x 13 3/4. Wood engraving. Very good condition. Beam: 205. $450
Winslow Homer. "Sea-Side Sketches-A Clam-Bake." New York: Harper's Weekly, 1873. 9 1/4 x 14. Wood engraving. Very good condition. Beam: 201. $400
Harper's Weekly was a weekly newspaper filled with woodblock illustrations by many of the leading American artists of the last half of the nineteenth century. Of particular historical importance are the contemporaneous views of Civil War battles, soldiers and scenes. These pictures, often drawn on the spot by the magazine's numerous artists, provided the most widely circulated eye-witness illustrations of the war, and thus were the most common means by which Americans could view the events and persons of this tragic conflict. However in the years that followed the war, Homer turned his artistic hand to subjects of a more genteel nature. "Children, a less emotionally subject, became a focal point for much of his work in the late 1870s. In the postwar period of increasing materialism and industrialization, in which the social and economic fabric was changing, children were a reminder of a less worldly, more natural state of man. Homer portrayed children with an affection and realism shared by Mark Twain's 'Tom Sawyer'." [Italy: 1986, "Winslow Homer" by Mary Judge, page 38] This is one of the classic images by Homer from this period.
April 13, 2021
John Taylor Arms. "A Gargoyle, Lincoln Cathedral." 1920. 3 1/8 x 2 (plate mark). Etching. Signed in pencil by the artist. Edition: 50. Very good condition. Fletcher, 92. $275
John Taylor Arms (1887-1953) was born in Washington, DC. From childhood, he was always interested in French artists who specialized in architectural renderings. This interest led him to study architecture at Princeton University and at M.I.T. After earning his degree, he worked for a few architectural firms and also as a partner in his own firm. Arms first started etching professionally in 1919. His early prints, that depicted Gothic cathedrals of Europe, earned him an enthusiastic following in European cities that continues today. His disciplined technique became increasingly exacting as he reported accurately the most minute patterns in the architectural lacework. A later series, Gargoyles, added bizarre elements to those studies, concerned more with precision than character. Arms' work was very popular, especially in the 1930s and 1940s. He made 448 prints during his career.
Peter Rindisbacher. "Interior of a Sioux Lodge." From The Casket (October, 1829). 4 3/4 x 7 (image). Aquatint by Joseph Yeager. Short, repaired tear 1/2" into image from left. Minor stains right hand margin. Top margined trimmed into image about 1/2 inch. Else, good condition. $135
This first printed picture of the interior of a Plains Indian tipi was published in The Casket, a literary gift book published in 1829. This German artist moved to Saint Louis in 1829 and began making excursions among Native Americans west of the Mississippi. He preceded George Catlin and Carl Bodmer by a number of years and through his paintings began a small trickle of images out of the American West. One of his illustrations of a Sioux horseman was used in The American Turf Register in 1829, and his most famous image of a buffalo hunt was used as a frontispiece for the McKenney & Hall North American Indian Portfolio in the early 1830s. Ref.: Ron Tyler, Prints of the West (Golden, CO, 1994), p. 39.
Roe & Colby. "Map of the City of Lancaster. Lancaster Co. Pennsylvania." Philadelphia: Roe & Colby, 1874. 56 1/2 x 55 (full sheet). Lithograph with original top moulding and bottom spindle. Map mounted to original canvas backing and varnished as originally issued. Horizontal cracking in various areas of the map with some map edges frayed; all as to be expected. Linen tape on verso to repair tears and to reinforce areas of canvas. Faint water stain upper right corner. Else, very good condition for a large wall map. $2,000
A very detailed map of the city of Lancaster with roads, railroad lines and buildings for homes and commerce. This map features approximately 130 businesses active at the time by listing and describing establishments on the map's top tier. This wall map may have been displayed in a school, business, real estate or city office, or in a home for decorative purposes. Most wall maps were glued to a linen base and varnished to protect the surface. Over time, the varnish causes the paper to become brown and brittle and the action of rolling and unrolling them results in the paper becoming cracked and chipped. These large maps were never framed and when not needed were often deposited in basements or attics where they would come in contact with water. Most antique wall maps today are usually found with large tide marks and numerous cracks and chips. This map does exhibit some of the anticipated condition problems as described above, but these flaws are as to be expected and all of the cartographic information of the city is intact. Overall, a very scarce and attractive wall map.
"A Map of the Island of Orleans with the Environs of Quebec." From Gentlemen's Magazine. London: October, 1759. 4 1/4 x 7 1/4. Engraving. Very good condition. $225
Beginning in 1731, monthly news magazines made their appearance in Britain. These magazines, with such names as Gentleman's Magazine and London Magazine, contained poetry, prose, and articles on events, fashions, personalities, and other items of the day that might be of interest to the English gentleman. One of their most popular, and historically important, features was the inclusion of prints and maps to accompany their articles. This map of the environs of Quebec is a very nice example of one such map, issued in Gentleman's Magazine, October 1759. This city was the strongest fortress in Canada, the lynchpin of French power in North America. The British knew that if they were able to capture Quebec, the rest of the country would soon fall into their dominion, so they lay siege to Quebec from June 27th until September 18th, when the French surrendered their garrison in the city. This was the turning point of the war, with an eventual British victory all but certain. This map, issued just after that major victory, would have been of great interest to the British public.
William Russell. "A New Map of South America from the best Authorities." From History of America. London: Fielding and Walker, 1778. 13 1/2 x 9 3/8 (neat lines). Engraving by John Lodge. Very good condition. $275
An interesting map of South America from the end of the eighteenth century. Detail is extensive throughout the continent. Included are depictions and names of rivers, lakes, settlements, and some orography. Political divisions are also noted. Given the early date of this map, the accuracy of the information is quite impressive.
Unattributed. "The Steuartia." From Gentleman's Magazine. London: Edward Cave, 1753. 6 1/4 x 4 1/4 (image). Octavo. Wood engraving. Original hand color. Very good condition. $150
This botanical specimen originally from Virginia was introduced into Britain by John Clayton and first flowered in the garden of Mark Catesby. Following the death of Mark Catesby in 1749, interest in his pictures of American flora and fauna continued beyond issuing reprints of his original plates. The London journal, Gentleman's Magazine, was the source of some of the most interesting and elegant maps and views of North America from the eighteenth century. Through this octavo sized monthly magazine, the English gentleman was kept well informed through fine visual images, as well as articles, about the latest news in the developing colonies. The most up-to-date, authoritative sources were used, making for the dissemination of, and subsequent preservation of, some of the best early historical documents about America.
Unattributed. "St. Philip's Church in Charles Town, South Carolina." From Gentleman's Magazine, June 1753. 7 1/4 x 4 1/4. Engraving. Very good condition. $275
The London journal, Gentleman's Magazine, was the source of some of the most interesting and elegant maps and views of North America from the eighteenth century. Through this octavo sized monthly magazine, the English gentleman was kept well informed through fine visual images, as well as articles, about the latest news in the developing colonies. The most up-to-date, authoritative sources were used, making for the dissemination of, and subsequent preservation of, some of the best early historical documents about America.
"Map of a Portion of Philadelphia . . . ." From Visitors' Guide to the Centennial Exhibition and Philadelphia. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1876. 16 5/8 x 12 1/4. Lithograph. With folds as issued. Several small tears along folds repaired with some folds reinforced with archival tape. Narrow portion of left hand side of map has been re-margined. Small areas of information on left hand side in-painted. Very narrow margins as issued. Else, find condition. $150
A map of Philadelphia from a booklet of the most popular guide books sold at the Exhibition and in Philadelphia during the Centennial. The maps was intended for practical use by fair goers. The map of the city shows concentric circles measuring distances from Centre Square. One of the most informative and visually striking documents from the great Centennial Exhibition.
S. Augustus Mitchell Jr. "Southern States." From Mitchell's School and Family Geography. Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, ca. 1870. 10 x 16 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. $150
Samuel Augustus Mitchell was born in Bristol, Connecticut on March 20, 1792. Mitchell became interested in geography and decided he could produce better work than was then available, moving to Philadelphia in 1829 the center of American publishing. His first cartographic work was an 1831 reissue of Anthony Finley's New American Atlas. Mitchell's school atlases, which came in various formats for different age students, appeared beginning in 1839 and continued to be published by his son, S.A. Mitchell Jr., until 1886.
April 8, 2021
Joseph Mansell. Pl. 40. "Laelia Harpophylla." From Reichenbachia, Orchids Illustrated and Described. London: Henry Frederick Conrad Sander, 1888-94. Folio. Chromolithograph. Very good condition. $350
A handsome print from a magnificent and important authoritative study of orchids. Sander, a well known commercial nurseryman, published this series of botanical prints in response to the growing popularity of orchid plants in Victorian England. Sander employed some of the finest botanical artists of his day. Henry Moon, Walter Hood Fitch, and Loch beautifully captured on paper the detail and color of these exotic plants. All the specimens depicted are life size with analytical drawings of various plant parts. Sander titled his series after Dr. Reichenbach, a German authority on the study of orchids. All in all, one of the best and most colorful series of orchid prints ever produced.
April 6, 2021
Anne Seymour Damer. [Vignette in the Title] Coriolanus, II, i. From The American Edition of Boydell's Illustrations of Shakespeare, Restored to all the Pristine Beauty of the First Proofs. New York: Shearjashub Spooner, 106 Liberty St., 1852. 6 1/8 x 9 3/4. Engraving by William Leney. Foxing in wide margins; else, very good condition. $100
One of a magnificent series of British prints based on the works of William Shakespeare published by the great John Boydell. Boydell, a land surveyor in the employment of his father, was inspired by an engraving by W.H. Toms to leave his home in Shropshire about 1750 and walk to London to apprentice himself to Toms. After six years, Boydell set up his own shop and began his career as a print publisher. He was much concerned with the French dominance of the European print market at mid-century, and mostly by his efforts in the 1780's Britain became a print exporting country.
As part of his concern with making a profit and supporting British art, Boydell established the Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, an establishment dedicated to British paintings depicting scenes from Shakespeare's plays. Boydell commissioned the paintings, put them on display in the gallery, and then published a folio work consisting of commissioned prints after 100 of the paintings in the gallery. Each print is expertly engraved and powerfully expresses the artistic inspiration that the subject provided. These are fascinating artistic expressions of the then current gothic interpretation of Shakespeare's works. The gallery and the prints were a boon for British artists, giving them inspiration and publicity at the same time. As almost all the paintings have since disappeared, the prints take on added interest as the surviving record of this fascinating episode in British art history.
We have many more prints from this series online. Please call or email for more information.
J.L. Smith. "Smith's New Map of Philadelphia and Vicinity." Philadelphia: J.L. Smith, 1875. 26 1/4 x 42 1/2. Lithograph. Two part, separately issued folding map expertly joined. Old and new repairs with linen tape along some folds. Numerous folds reinforced with linen tape to prevent separation. Some wear in map along folds as to be expected. Small stain above title. Minor buckling of map, as to be expected, from being repaired and joined. With original gold stamped buckram front and back cover. Else, very good condition for a folding map. $525
A large map of Philadelphia and the regions to the north as far as North Wales, to the east as far as Moorestown, and to the west just beyond Downingtown. Major streets and some buildings are shown in the city, including the site of the Centennial celebration. Extensive information is given for the surrounding area, including roads, rivers, rail lines, mills, hotels, meeting houses, and myriad other geographic details. Interestingly, the map errs by including Montgomery County's Cheltenham Township within the Philadelphia County line.
J.L. Smith. "Smith's New Map of Philadelphia and Vicinity." Philadelphia: J.L. Smith, 1875. Lithograph on thin bank note paper. 13 x 21. With folds as originally issued. One part of a two part separately issued folding map, with original gold stamped buckram front cover. A number of repaired tears along folds with some small areas filled and in painted. Else, fine condition. $225
One half of a large map of Philadelphia and the region. This map depicts only the western part of the Philadelphia suburbs which extends from Upper Providence Township in Montgomery County down to the Delaware State border and from the western end of Radnor Township to West Bradford Township in Chester County. Extensive information is given for these areas including roads, rivers, rail lines, mills, hotels, meeting houses, and myriad other geographic details.
"Nea Mathla. Seminole War Chief." From Biography and History of the Indians of North America by Samuel G. Drake. Boston: O.L. Perkins, 1834. 5 3/4 x 4 (image). Engraving. Some smudging in bottom margins. Else, very good condition. $225
Samuel Gardner Drake was born in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, the son of farmers. In 1805, his father sold his farm and opened a store in Northwood, New Hampshire. In 1818 he became a school teacher. In 1828 he moved to Boston to open the first antiquarian bookstore in the United States. He also studied and wrote about early United States history. In 1847, Drake was one of the founders of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and for many years he was the editor of its quarterly Register. He lived in London for two years late in his life. He died of pneumonia in Boston.
April 3, 2021
John Thomson. "Map of the Islands in the Pacific Ocean." From A New General Atlas. Edinburgh: J. Thomson, 1817. 19 3/8 x 23 1/2. Engraving by Neele. Original hand color. Full margins. Browned. Otherwise, good condition. $450
This map shows the islands of the Pacific, from the Caroline Islands to Hawaii. The detail is excellent, including most actual islands and many non-existent ones. Non-existent islands have been denizens of charts and maps from the very beginning. The sources of these islands are manifold, including legend, folklore, incorrect navigation, fraud, and so on. Amongst the most famous legendary islands are Rica de Plata and Rica de Oro, or the Islands of Silver and Gold, said to be located between Japan and California. The former does not appear, but the latter is shown just to the east of another non-existent island, Lots Wife.
Despite its inclusion of many fictional islands, Thomson was very concerned with either excluding such islands or at least indicating some doubt about them. In several places Thomson indicates an island "seen by...," "Is. Doubtful," and in one place he notes "It is doubtful if those Islands are in existence." The Pacific Ocean is a vast area, and it was only in the late eighteenth century that navigational tools enabled consistently accurate readings. Thus it is not surprising that it took a very long time to correct the many errors in its mapping. This is an instructive and fascinating stage in the history of this process.
John Dower. "Colony of New South Wales." From A New General Atlas of the World. London: Henry Teesdale & Co., 1834. 13 1/4 x 16 1/4. Engraving by J. Dower. Original outline color. Very good condition. $175
John Dower. "Van-Diemans Land." From A New General Atlas of the World. London: Henry Teesdale & Co., 1834. 16 x 13. Engraving by J. Dower. Original outline color. Very good condition. $175
Maps by British cartographer J. Dower. Though other countries, including the United States, had by then developed cartographic industries of considerable quality, British map publishers were still the best in the world. This map is typical of their output, with clear and precise engraving depicting copious up-to-date information. Towns, rivers, roads, political boundaries and topography are shown from throughout. The hand coloring, beautifully applied, makes this map as handsome as it is interesting.
John Tallis. "Victoria or Port Phillip." From The Illustrated Atlas. London: John Tallis & Co., [1851]. approx. 10 x 13. Illustrations drawn by H. Warren and engraved by J. Rogers. Original outline color. Very good condition. $175
John Tallis. "Van Diemen's Island or Tasmania." From The Illustrated Atlas. London: John Tallis & Co., [1851]. approx. 10 x 13. Illustrations drawn by H. Warren and engraved by J. Rogers. Original outline color. Very good condition. $175
Beginning in 1851, John Tallis & Co. issued their Illustrated Atlas, which contained maps of all parts of the world. These detailed maps are particularly known for their decorative borders and the small, finely engraved vignettes of local scenes. These are some of the most interesting mid-nineteenth century maps of Australia.
"Johnson's Australia." New York: Johnson & Ward, 1864. 13 1/4 x 15 1/4. Lithography. Full original hand-color. A few spots from impurities in the paper. Overall, very good condition. $165
An attractive map of Australia from A.J. Johnson's mid-nineteenth century atlas of the world. The Johnson firm, out of New York City, went through several manifestations and was one of the leading cartographic publishers in the latter half of the century, producing a large corpus of popular atlases. This finely detailed map is a good example of Johnson's, and thus early American, cartography.
J. Bartholomew, F.R.G.S. "Australia." From Black's General Atlas. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black, 1865. Lithograph printed in color. 19 3/4 x 15 1/4. Horizontal fold as issued. Repaired tear in margin. Else, very good condition. $250
J. Bartholomew, F.R.G.S. "Oceania and Pacific Ocean." From Black's General Atlas. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black, 1865. Lithograph printed in color. 19 3/4 x 15 1/4. Horizontal fold as issued. Repaired tear in margin. Else, very good condition. $165
Maps from a series of precisely detailed maps of the world from one of the leading British mapmaking firms of the nineteenth century. Adam and Charles Black issued atlases from the 1840s through the 80s, keeping their maps as current as possible. These handsome maps are good examples of their output.
March 31, 2021
Emanuel Bowen. "A New & Accurate Map of the Islands of Newfoundland, Cape Briton, St. John and Anticosta . . . with the Neighbouring Countries of Nova Scotia, Canada &c. . . ." From Complete Atlas or Distinct View of the Known World. London: E. Bowen, 1744. 13 3/4 x 16 3/4. Engraving. Very good condition. $400
Emanuel Bowen and his son Thomas (born when his father was 53) were both map printers and sellers. As engraver to George II of Britain and Louis XV of France, Emanuel Bowen worked in London from 1714 onwards. Some of the maps were the largest produced in their times and doubly unusual for Bowen's inclusion of historical and topographical information of amusing and fascinating note. He often joined with other printers to complete large works; for example Thomas Kitchin's The Large English Atlas. Sadly, royal appointments and seeming prosperity were not enough to prevent Emanuel's death in poverty, a legacy which he bequeathed to Thomas, who continuing the business died in Clerkenwell workhouse in 1790. Through all the vicissitudes of his life, however, Emanuel Bowen's maps continued at a very high level of quality, as is exampled in this detailed map.
British Admiralty. "A Chart of the Gulf of St. Laurence . . . by Astronomical Observations." London: R. Sayer & J. Bennett, 1775. 24 3/4 x 20 (platemarks). Engraving. Excellent condition. $750
Following the French and Indian War, 1754-63, the British Admiralty had many surveys and maps done of the waters in and around North America. The official publisher for the Admiralty was J.F.W. DesBarres who was working his way from North to South using many ships and mapmakers. As commerce increased and the Americans began militating over legal and economic differences with Great Britain, commercial map making firms used the DesBarres surveys to create their own maps. This careful astronomically oriented chart shows the two channels around Newfoundland that lead to the St. Laurence River. For commerce and possible military maneuvers, this chart would have had wide distribution.
Rigobert Bonne. "L'Isle De Terre-Neuve, L'Acadie, ou La Nouvelle Ecosse, l'Isle St. Jean, et la Partie Orientale Du Canada." From Atlas Encyclopédique by Bonne and N. Desmarest. Paris: Hotel de Thou, 1787-88. 8 1/4 x 12 3/8 (neat lines). Engraving by André. Hand color. Very good condition. $225
Rigobert Bonne was the Royal Hydrographer of France, so his primary interest was in marine charts. However, with his Royal connections and access to the cartographic documents in Paris, Bonne was able to compile maps containing some of the most up-to-date information of his time. This map was issued in the Atlas Encyclopédique, a volume designed to accompany the other volumes from the Encyclopédie Méthodique. The maps from this atlas are all neatly engraved, and while containing considerable detail, they are nonetheless elegantly attractive.
John Cary. "Canada." From Cary's New Universal Atlas. London: J. Cary, 1816. 9 1/4 x 11 1/4. Engraving. Original hand color. Minor stains in margins. Else, very good condition. $150
A detailed map by John Cary (ca. 1754-1835), the founder of the famous English cartographic firm. From about mid-way through the eighteenth century, British cartographers were the best in the world, and the maps produced by Cary are good examples of the quality they achieved. Major regions and settlements, is presented with crisp engravings, with a three-dimensional topographical appearance. The subtle hand coloring adds a decorative touch to this fine early nineteenth century historic document.
John Gellatly & Henry Washbourne. "British America." From New Edinburgh General Atlas. Edinburgh: J. Gellatly & London: Henry Washbourne, 1843. Engraving with original hand color. Light foxing in extreme margins, but image clean. $150
Edward C. Smith (1897- 1981). [Samuel Ewing House, Greenwich, New Jersey]. 1942. Philadelphia: Geare-Marston Inc. 7 x 11 1/4. Etching. Signed in pencil. With descriptive card incorrectly stating print is of the Fithian House. Very good condition. $325
Edward C. Smith (1897- 1981). "Old Gloucesterman." ca. 1945. Etching. Signed in pencil. 7 1/4 x 10 3/8 (image). Very good condition. $250
Edward Smith was a nationally known Philadelphia artist, illustrator, and teacher. He was best known for his etchings, and his prints of historic Philadelphia scenes. Smith also worked in water-colors, oils, mosaics, and silk screen. A veteran of the advertising industry, he taught at the School of Industrial Art now the Philadelphia College of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Moore Institute. He taught etching at Philadelphia Sketch Club and the Haverford School.
Thomas Norman Mansell. (1904-1991). "Philadelphia Sketch Club." ca. 1945. 9 3/4 x 8 (image). Etching. Signed and titled in pencil by the artist. Very good condition. $275
March 26, 2021
Arthur Davis. (1712-1787). "Thomas Penn Esq. [one of the] Proprietors of Pennsylvania 1751." London: publisher unknown, 1751. Mezzotint engraving by David Martin. Margins top and sides trimmed to image. Words "one of the" in old manuscript ink added to title. Old tape on verso. Scarce. Else very good condition. $1,800
This bust portrait print of Thomas Penn (1702-1775) is taken from a large full figure painting of Penn by Arthur Davis. The painting and its companion portrait of his wife Juliana is in the collection of Philadelphia Museum of Art. Penn is depicted standing in a door way and behind him is an open window with a vast view of the Pennsylvania countryside. Thomas Penn was the son of William Penn the founder of the Province of Pennsylvania. Upon his father's death in 1718, Thomas along with his two brothers, inherited the position of Proprietor of the Colony of Pennsylvania. Thomas continued as a Proprietor until his death in 1775.
Mark Catesby. "The Red Bird; from Catesby" [Cardinal]. [with Hiccory Tree]. From Gentleman's Magazine. London: Edward Cave, 1753. 6 x 4 (image). Octavo. Wood engraving. Original hand color. Very good condition. $175
Following the death of Mark Catesby in 1749, interest in his pictures of American flora and fauna continued beyond issuing reprints of his original plates. The pictures of ornithology were issued by Seligman in Germany and Buffon in France throughout the rest of the century. The most unusual and scarce are the woodcuts that appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine in the early 1750s. Frick and Stearns have stated that Edward Cave, the editor, "found Catesby's birds and plants worth printing [thus] demonstrated a popular interest in these things, which, in the form in which they were first published, were beyond the financial capacities of most men." Mark Catesby: The Colonial Audubon, p. 100.
Mark Catesby. "The Little Thrush." [with Dahoon Holly]. From Gentleman's Magazine. London: Edward Cave, 1753. 6 1/2 x 4 (image). Wood engraving. Very good condition. $145
Following the death of Mark Catesby in 1749, interest in his pictures of American flora and fauna continued beyond issuing reprints of his original plates. The pictures of ornithology were issued by Seligman in Germany and Buffon in France throughout the rest of the century. The most unusual and scarce are the woodcuts that appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine in the early 1750s. Frick and Stearns have stated that Edward Cave, the editor, "found Catesby's birds and plants worth printing [thus] demonstrated a popular interest in these things, which, in the form in which they were first published, were beyond the financial capacities of most men." Mark Catesby: The Colonial Audubon, p. 100.
Mark Catesby. "The Purple Gross Beak." [with Poison Wood]. From Gentleman's Magazine. London: Edward Cave, 1753. 6 1/4 x 4 1/4 (image). Octavo. Wood engraving. Very good condition. $145
Following the death of Mark Catesby in 1749, interest in his pictures of American flora and fauna continued beyond issuing reprints of his original plates. The pictures of ornithology were issued by Seligman in Germany and Buffon in France throughout the rest of the century. The most unusual and scarce are the woodcuts that appeared in the Gentleman's Magazine in the early 1750s. Frick and Stearns have stated that Edward Cave, the editor, "found Catesby's birds and plants worth printing [thus] demonstrated a popular interest in these things, which, in the form in which they were first published, were beyond the financial capacities of most men." Mark Catesby: The Colonial Audubon, p. 100.
John James Audubon. Plate 397. "Scaup Duck." New York: J. Bien, 1860. 13 1/4 x 18 7/8 (image). Chromolithograph. One of two images printed on a single double elephant folio sheet. Very good condition. Framed. $2,200
John James Audubon, known both for his romantic life and his superb prints, is the most famous of all American natural history artists. For his pioneering travel around the United States in search of new subjects in the wild, his lifelike and dramatic style, and his monumental works on the birds and quadrupeds of North America, Audubon is, perhaps, also the greatest American natural history artist. In 1827 Audubon began to issue the prints from the first edition of his monumental The Birds of America, which when completed ran to a total of 435 double elephant folio prints. Audubon had died in 1851, but his son John Woodhouse Audubon, who worked closely with him, undertook the project to recreate the prints, for which there was continued strong demand. Published in New York in 1860, the second edition prints were lithographs printed in color, a relatively new and expensive process at the time. This brilliant chromolithography marks these prints as a distinctive production, adding significantly to Audubon's oeuvre. With the disruptions caused by the Civil War, this edition was never completed, and so these prints are even rarer than those of the first edition. As the first totally American Audubon elephant folio bird prints, matching those of the first edition in beauty and drama, these are wonderful pieces of American history.
John James Audubon. Plate 398. "Ring-necked Duck." New York: J. Bien, 1860. 13 1/8 x 16 7/8 (image). Chromolithograph. One of two images printed on a single double elephant folio sheet. Very good condition. Framed. $2,200
John James Audubon, known both for his romantic life and his superb prints, is the most famous of all American natural history artists. For his pioneering travel around the United States in search of new subjects in the wild, his lifelike and dramatic style, and his monumental works on the birds and quadrupeds of North America, Audubon is, perhaps, also the greatest American natural history artist. In 1827 Audubon began to issue the prints from the first edition of his monumental The Birds of America, which when completed ran to a total of 435 double elephant folio prints. Audubon had died in 1851, but his son John Woodhouse Audubon, who worked closely with him, undertook the project to recreate the prints, for which there was continued strong demand. Published in New York in 1860, the second edition prints were lithographs printed in color, a relatively new and expensive process at the time. This brilliant chromolithography marks these prints as a distinctive production, adding significantly to Audubon's oeuvre. With the disruptions caused by the Civil War, this edition was never completed, and so these prints are even rarer than those of the first edition. As the first totally American Audubon elephant folio bird prints, matching those of the first edition in beauty and drama, these are wonderful pieces of American history.
Thomas Eakins. "Dr. Agnew." [The Agnew Clinic]. Copyright 1893. 8 1/4 x 12 3/8. Halftone. Very good condition. Framed. $600
Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) was a Philadelphia born artist and photographer, but before going to Paris to study art with Jean-Léon Gérôme in 1866 he was a student at both the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts as well as Jefferson Medical College. Upon his return to Philadelphia in 1870, he began painting portraits, mostly of family and friends, as well as his famous rowing scenes on the Schuylkill. In time he was also appointed as the assistant to Dr. W.W. Keen, professor of anatomy at both Jefferson and PAFA.
In 1889, the graduating class of the University of Pennsylvania's Medical School approached Eakins to paint what became "The Agnew Clinic," as a tribute to their revered teacher and surgeon, Dr. David Hayes Agnew, whose retirement was to coincide with their graduation in that year. Eakins was able to complete the large painting in three months' time in order to be presented at the graduation ceremony held at the Academy of Music. He was known to have made sketch studies of all the persons depicted in the painting, though these have not survived. Interestingly, Eakins himself appears at the far right of the painting, in conference with a doctor at Penn, Frederick H. Milliken. The portrait of Eakins was painted by his wife, Susan Macdowell Eakins, at least in part in order to expedite the painting's completion.
Earl Horter. (1881-1940). [Drexel & Co's. New Banking House at Fifteenth and Walnut Streets]. From A New Home for an Old House. Philadelphia: Drexel & Co., 1927. 8 x 5 1/4 (image). Etching. Signed in pencil by the artist. Minor foxing in margins not affecting image. Very good condition. $375
Illustrator and etcher, Earl Horter worked in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a member of the Society of Illustrators in 1910, exhibited at Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915, the Art Institute of Chicago in 1932, and in 1932 and 1938 won prizes at exhibition of prints at the Philadelphia Print Club. He specialized in American landscape prints, both urban and historical. In 1999 the Philadelphia Museum of Art mounted a major exhibition on Horter's life and works. The accompanying catalog, Mad for Modernism. Earl Horter and His Collection by Ennis Howe Shoemaker (Philadelphia, 1999) explains and illustrates his influence as artist, teacher, writer and companion for so many in his times.
Georges Redon (1869-1943). "la terre." [illustration for dinner menu]. 1920. 9 3/4 x 15. Chromolithograph by H. Chachion. Signed in image. On verso is the dinner menu of Café de Paris dated July 26, 1923 in elegant blue manuscript ink. Very good condition. $275
Georges Redon (1869-1943). "l'air." [illustration for dinner menu]. 1920. 9 3/4 x 15. Chromolithograph by H. Chachion. Signed in image. On verso is the dinner menu of Café de Paris dated July 26, 1923 in elegant blue manuscript ink. Very good condition. $275
Georges Redon (1869-1943). "l'eau." [illustration for dinner menu]. 1920. 9 3/4 x 15. Chromolithograph by H. Chachion. Signed in image. On verso is the dinner menu from Café de Paris dated July 26, 1923 in elegant blue manuscript ink. Very good condition. $275
Georges Redon (1869-1943). "le feu." [illustration for dinner menu]. 1920. 9 3/4 x 15. Chromolithograph by H. Chachion. Signed in image. On verso is the dinner menu from Café de Paris menu dated July 22, 1923 in elegant blue manuscript ink. Very good condition. $275
Jules Georges Redon was born in Paris and was a painter, draftsman, caricaturist, poster artist, engraver and lithographer. He is best known for his humorous and sometimes naughty illustrations of children. He contributed illustrations to newspapers and magazines, and designed menus and posters for various restaurants and cabarets of Paris.
March 24, 2021
Nicholas Scull & George Heap. "A Map of Philadelphia and Parts Adjacent." London: Gentleman's Magazine, August 1753. First edition. 13 3/8 x 11 5/8. Engraving. With inset of table of distances from Court House. Folds as issued. Very narrow loss of image left hand side. Old but stable repairs and reinforcements on verso; old repaired tear into image left hand side. With descriptive page from magazine. Else, fine condition. Prints of Philadelphia: 1; Snyder: 16. $975
Perhaps the most famous map of Philadelphia, the Scull & Heap map went through many editions beginning in 1752. As much of the intent of this publication was to promote the city and its surrounding regions, the map was made available for printing in a popular periodical, Gentleman's Magazine, where it appeared the next year in a reduced size. As the first edition, separately issued in Philadelphia, is extremely scarce, the Gentleman's Magazine edition is the first generally available version of this important map.
The Holme grid plan for the city lies at the center of the map, with an open Centre Square and the Court House the only indicated features. More information is given about the surrounding regions, where roads, mills, and houses of prominent citizens are shown and named. These details give us a wealth of information about the development of the Philadelphia area in its nascent days. Especially interesting is a considerably developed Germantown, with houses lining both sides of Germantown Pike, and a table of distances from the Court House is in the lower right corner, the latter only appearing in this first edition.
Ezra Stiles. "Pictorial Map of Frick Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Pittsburgh: Union Trust Company of Pittsburgh, 1939. 18 3/4 x 13 1/2 (paper). Color printed. With folds as originally issued. Small printer's wrinkle in upper right hand corner. Includes time-toned envelope which housed the map. Excellent condition. Very scarce. $600
A wonderful and decorative pictorial color map of Frick Park in Pittsburgh. Frick Park was a gift from Henry Clay Frick to the people of Pittsburgh. Ezra C. Stiles (1891-1974) a well known landscape architect designed this detailed map of the park with its decorative border and vignettes of scenes of the Park. On the verso of the map is "This is your park in common with the other citizens of Pittsburgh. Drinking fountains are indicated on the map by red dots. Do not drink any other water in the park as it is contaminated and extremely dangerous to your health ... The birds and the squirrels trust you ... Do not injure or frighten your little friends..."
Spy [Leslie Ward]. "Mr. Horace Hutchinson." [Horace G. Hutchinson]. London. Vanity Fair, July 19, 1890. Chromolithograph. Approximately 7 x 12 (image). Time toned; light spots in margins. $525
Spy [Leslie Ward]. "Yorkshire Cricket." [Lord Hawke]. London: Vanity Fair, September 24, 1892. Approximately 7 x 12 (image). Chromolithograph. $650
Spy [Leslie Ward]. "The Recorder." [Sir Forest Fulton, The Recorder of London]. London: Vanity Fair, July 9, 1903. Approximately 7 x 12 (image). Chromolithograph. $350
Spy [Leslie Ward]. "A symphony." [James Abbot M'Neill Whistler]. London: Vanity Fair, January 12, 1878. Approximately 7 x 12 (image). Chromolithograph. $250
Unattributed. "Natural Selection." [Charles R. Darwin]. London: Vanity Fair, September 30, 1871. Approximately 7 x 12 (image). Chromolithograph. $250
We have many more prints from this series online. Please call or email for more information.
From January 30, 1869 until February 5, 1914, Vanity Fair, a weekly Society magazine of social, literary and political content, was published to the delight of Victorian and then Edwardian England. Most popular of its features were the wonderful full page caricatures of famous men and women of the day, prints that are Vanity Fair's great legacy. These were drawn by such popular artists as Spy (Leslie Ward) and Ape (Carlo Pellegrini), amongst others. With subjects ranging from the political to the religious, Americans to Asians, these prints remain one of the most popular of prints from that bygone era. This perceptive and witty portrait is a fine specimen from this humorous and urbane magazine.
Johann Christoph Volckamer. "Lim: Pusilla Pila." p.122 From Nurnbergishe Hesperides. Nuremberg, 1708-1714. Approx. 12 3/4 x 8 1/4. Copper engraving. Lovely hand color. Very good condition. $1,300
A superb example of one of the most sought after and unusual series of botanical prints from the eighteenth century. At that time, structures known as orangeries came into fashion. Wealthy Europeans sought to grow and keep warmer climate plants, such as citrus and even palm trees, throughout the year. The potted trees could be transferred into these greenhouses to avoid the harsher, northern winters. These beautiful prints by Johann C. Volkcamer illustrate types of the then newly popular citrus fruit in delicate detail. Encircling the fruit are baroque ribbons naming each of the varieties. The large fruit hang serenely in the foreground over exquisite landscapes, country houses, and gardens. Most of the which were located in and around Volckamer's home of Nuremberg as well as northern Italy. The whole effect is somewhat surreal, yet still highly reflective of eighteenth century European taste.
We have more prints from this series online. Please call or email for more information.
William Lewin. Pl. 53. "Kings Fisher." From The Birds of Great Britain, Systematically Arranged, Accurately Engraved, and Painted from Nature.... London, 1795-1801. Second edition. Quarto. Etchings by William Lewin, and his sons Thomas, Thomas William, and John William. Original hand coloring. Excellent condition. $125
The demand for Lewin's fine work from Birds of Great Britain, combined with the limits imposed by his having done its plates all by watercolor, led him in 1793 to begin a second edition of etched plates, allowing for relatively more copies to be published. Lewin, who was reaching the end of his life, was joined in this project by his three talented sons, all of whose work is credited individually on the separate plates. The result of this wonderful family enterprise is a series of winning and refined images, with each bird posed on a summary branch and often caught in a naturalistic, active pose. These are charming reminders of the wealth of activity during this exciting period of natural history.
We have many more prints from this series online. Please call or email for more information.
Unattributed. [Kingfishers by the school of John Gould]. From one of the many sets of exotic bird prints. London: Gould, 1860s-80s. No imprint. Folio (but cut down to royal quarto size). Lithograph. Original hand coloring. Full margins. $85
John Gould (1804-1881) was one of the most respected and prolific ornithologists of all time. During his lifetime, he produced over 5000 different bird prints which covered most of the globe (Australia to England to Africa to the United States). His prints are noted for their particularly realistic and accurate appearance while preserving much of the artistic style that was prevalent during the time. He was able to achieve this through his years of ornithological study as well as through being a well-trained artist. Along with Gould, several other excellent artists worked on his prints, including Henry C. Richter, William Hart, Josef Wolf, and Gould's wife Elizabeth. Often, Gould gave the artists who worked with him sketches of the birds in their natural habitats, which these artists then finished and drew them onto the lithographic stones, hand-coloring each print once it was finished. For their naturalism and vibrant hand-coloring, Gould's prints are some of the most beautiful bird prints ever produced, and this is a fine example of his work.
Alexander Pope Jr. [Black Ducks]. From Upland Game Birds and Water Fowl of the United States. New York: Scribner, Armstrong and Co., 1877-78. 14 x 20. Chromolithograph. Very good condition. $650
A particularly fine example of the use of chromolithography in the 1870s, this print beautifully reproduce the texture and feeling of Pope's original watercolors. Pope indeed has become known for the vividness and charm of his sporting prints, and this series, printed by Armstrong and Co, specialists in chromolithography, represents some of his best work.
We have more prints from this series online. Please call or email for more information.
Keulemans. "Ptilotis Marchei." From Nouvelles Archives du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle de Paris. Paris: 1865-1874; 1878-1880; after 1880. Quarto. 12 1/4 x 9 1/8 (paper size). Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. $225
We have many more prints from this series. Please call or email for more information.
A print from a scarce set issued in Paris during the latter half of the nineteenth century. No mention of this rare periodical is in the standard references. Editors of the Martin Catalogue (Vol.V, #1758) believe that this series ceased publication after the second series was issued; however, in this grouping, there are a few prints from the third and fourth series. Some of the finest bird illustrators, such as Werner, Huet, Oudart, Keulemans and others, contributed to this publication. The prints are beautifully lithographed and hand tinted with vibrant colors.
Louis Prang. "Tiger." From J. G. Wood, Animate Creation; Popular Edition of "Our Living World," A Natural History. New York: Selmar Hess, ca. 1880. 8 x 5 1/4 (image). Chromolithograph. Margins trimmed to image and mounted to titled backing sheet as originally issued. Minor stains in margins. Very good condition. SOLD
We have more prints from this series. Please call or email for more information.
A charming print from a series of natural history prints by the popular 19th-century lithographer, Louis Prang. After leaving his native Germany in the 1840s, Prang established himself in Boston, going on to become one of the more skillful and diverse of American illustrators and printmakers. He is well known for his fine art chromolithographs and greeting cards, as well as his book illustrations.
Unattributed. "Rough Coated St. Bernards." From Cassell's The Illustrated Book of the Dog. London: Cassell, Petter, Galpin, ca. 1881. Octavo. 6 1/2 x 9 5/8 (image). Chromolithograph by Vincent Brooks Day & Son. Very good condition. $250
We have many more prints from this series online. Please call or email for more information.
A print from a delightful series of portraits of dogs. The last part of the nineteenth century was the time when wonderful chromolithographs were being produced in England and in the United States, and these prints are excellent examples of the process. The attractive subjects and bright colors make for a series of truly charming prints.
J.L. Petrie. "The Mangrove Snapper." From William C. Harris' The Fishes Of North America That Are Captured On Hook And Line. New York, 1895-98. Folio. 10 x 17 (image). Chromolithograph. Very good condition. $425
We have many more prints from this series online. Please call or email for more information.
From an excellently and accurately rendered series of prints of North American game fish from William C. Harris' ambitious late nineteenth century folio volume. Harris stated that the volume was intended to give as much information as possible about the native American game fish as well as to provide lifelike portraits of various species. For this purpose a professional artist, J.L. Petrie, accompanied Harris around the country in order to paint the fish in as fresh a state as possible, "before the sheen of their color tints had faded." Harris would catch a fish, lay it out for Petrie, who would immediately paint the subject. These paintings were then painstakingly reproduced by chromolithography, using as many as 15 tints per image in order "to reproduce the exact tone and mellow transfusion of color so frequently seen in many species of fish when alive. So closely has the oil effect been followed that an expert cannot distinguish the painting from its copy at a distance of ten feet." With much justification, Harris states that the prints "are minutely accurate in anatomical detail and in the more difficult matter of coloration."
March 23, 2021
Starting around 1870, atlases of properties within and outside of Philadelphia began to be published by such firms as Bromley, Hopkins and Mueller. Their output has provided us with excellent, detailed images of the growth of the city of Philadelphia and the suburbs as well from the 1870s through the first part of the twentieth century. These atlases were used for planning, government purposes, and just for the information of citizens of the area. These atlases are also known as 'railroad, real estate, and/or insurance' atlases and contained very accurate and detailed information such as streets, properties, parks, and other topographical and social features.
We have many maps from the following areas: The City of Philadelphia; Montgomery County and townships; Delaware County and townships; Chester County and townships; Bucks County and townships. Please call or email for more information.
"Radnor." Philadelphia: G. M. Hopkins, 1870. From Atlas of Philadelphia and Environs. 16 1/2 x 13 1/4 (image). Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. Framed. $300
Plate 10. [Bryn Mawr, PA]. From Atlas of Lower Merion Township. Philadelphia: A. H. Mueller, 1895. Lithograph. Original hand color. Double folio. 20 1/2 x 30 3/4. $350
Plate 12. [Bryn Mawr, PA]. From Pennsylvania Railroad Atlas of the Main Line from Overbrook to Paoli. Philadelphia: A. H. Mueller, 1908. Lithograph. Original hand color. Double folio. 22 x 31 3/4. $300
"Good Road and Outline Index map. From Pennsylvania Railroad Atlas of the Main Line from Overbrook to Paoli. Philadelphia: A. H. Mueller, 1908. Lithograph. Original hand color. Double folio. 22 x 31 3/4. $400
Please call or email for more information for property regarding property maps of the following areas: Montgomery County, Delaware County, Chester County, Bucks County and The City of Philadelphia. Prices range from $75-$400
William Birch. "Arch Street, with the Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia." Philadelphia: W. Birch, 1799-1800. First edition. From The City of Philadelphia . . . 18 1/4 x 20 1/2 (frame size). Engraving. Full margins. Minor printers wrinkle in image. Very good condition. Framed. Note: in the photo the darker area in the bottom mat is due to a shadow. $2,600
The project of producing this series was carried out entirely in Philadelphia, and while many other individuals had a role, including Birch's son Thomas who provided many of the original drawings, the prints were mostly the product of the efforts of William Birch. Not only did he conceive and plan the project, but he also drew many of the scenes. The first edition, published in 1800, included 27 plates engraved by S. Seymour, and it was a great success, its subscription list numbering 156, including Thomas Jefferson. This appealing glimpse of Arch Street shows The Second Presbyterian Church which stood at the northeast corner of Third and Arch Streets. The deep perspective view of the street down to the river, along with the details of street life, give a fine look at Philadelphia as a thriving turn of the century city.
William Birch. New Market, in South Second Street Philadelphia." Philadelphia: W. Birch, 1799-1800. First edition. From The City of Philadelphia . . . 18 1/4 x 20 1/2 (frame size). Engraving. Uncolored. [Full margins. One spot in image. Otherwise very good condition. Framed. Note: in the photo the darker area in the bottom mat is due to a shadow. $2,800
The project of producing this series was carried out entirely in Philadelphia, and while many other individuals had a role, including Birch's son Thomas who provided many of the original drawings, the prints were mostly the product of the efforts of William Birch. Not only did he conceive and plan the project, but he also drew many of the scenes. The first edition, published in 1800, included 27 plates engraved by S. Seymour, and it was a great success, its subscription list numbering 156, including Thomas Jefferson. This view is of market sheds in South Second Street between Pine and South Streets. The shed in the background is between Lombard and South. Attached to it is a fire engine house (head house) with a cupola containing an alarm bell. In the foreground is the shed between Pine and Lombard.
William Birch. "Back of the State House, Philadelphia." Philadelphia: W. Birch, 1799-1800. First edition. From The City of Philadelphia . . . 18 1/4 x 20 1/2 (frame size). Engraving. Uncolored. Full margins. Very good condition. Framed. Note: in the photo the darker area in the bottom mat is due to a shadow. $2,800
The project of producing this series was carried out entirely in Philadelphia, and while many other individuals had a role, including Birch's son Thomas who provided many of the original drawings, the prints were mostly the product of the efforts of William Birch. Not only did he conceive and plan the project, but he also drew many of the scenes. The first edition, published in 1800, included 27 plates engraved by S. Seymour, and it was a great success, its subscription list numbering 156, including Thomas Jefferson. This print is one of the most interesting. It shows the roof and finial added to the State House in 1781, as well as the clock by William Stretch added around 1750. To the right is the Library Company building designated as Philosophical Hall, and to its left is Peale's Museum, so designated.
William Birch. "Second Street North from Market St. with Christ Church Philadelphia." Philadelphia: W. Birch, 1799-180. First edition. From The City of Philadelphia . . . 18 1/4 x 20 1/2 (frame size). Engraving. Uncolored. Full margins. Printers wrinkle at top of image. Very good condition. Framed. Note: in the photo the darker area in the bottom mat is due to a shadow. $3,000
The project of producing this series was carried out entirely in Philadelphia, and while many other individuals had a role, including Birch's son Thomas who provided many of the original drawings, the prints were mostly the product of the efforts of William Birch. Not only did he conceive and plan the project, but he also drew many of the scenes. The first edition, published in 1800, included 27 plates engraved by S. Seymour, and it was a great success, its subscription list numbering 156, including Thomas Jefferson. This excellent view of Market Street captures the famed Christ Church built between 1727 and 1744. Both Washington and Franklin worshipped in the church. On the left, in the center of Market Street, is the Town Hall or Courthouse, built in 1707 and demolished in 1837. Its arcaded ground floor was the city's first permanent market.
William Birch. "Philadelphia Bank in Fourth Street Philadelphia." From The City of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: W. Birch, 1827. Fourth Edition. 5 1/2 x 7 1/8. Engraving. Narrow margins. Paper time toned. Minor stains outside of image. Three repaired tears in bottom margin. Else, good condition. Snyder 38a. $450
A lovely print from William Birch's City of Philadelphia, a portfolio of images illustrating different scenes of Birch's home town. This volume, when first issued in 1800, was the first comprehensive work on an American city, and its influence was great. Birch issued four editions of the portfolio, updating the work by discarding some prints and adding new scenes including some of buildings built since the volume was initially published. The Philadelphia Bank building was built on the corner of Fourth and Chestnut Streets in 1809, and it was architecturally important as one of the first Gothic Revival buildings in Philadelphia. This company eventually became the Philadelphia National Bank. Interesting to note, there are only two known prints of the Philadelphia Bank, this image and an unusual view called, "The Horizontorium."
William Russell Birch. "High Street, with the First Presbyterian Church. Taken down in 1820. Philadelphia." From The City of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: W. Birch, 1828. Fourth Edition. 8 1/2 x 11 1/4 (image). Engraving. Margins trimmed to just outside plate mark with minor chipping into plate mark lower right. Else, very good condition. $950
When issued in 1800, William Birch's prints of Philadelphia formed the first series of views of any American city. As the first comprehensive picture of an American city, illustrating its buildings and street life, this work is of great historical importance. The first edition, published in 1800, included 27 plates was a great success and this prompted a second edition that was issued in 1804. The second edition contained one completely new plate, six revised plates, and thirteen modified plates. A third edition was issued in 1809 and a final edition with eleven modified plates and three new plates appeared in 1827-1828, again engraved and published by Birch. This appealing glimpse of High Street shows The First Presbyterian Church, built in 1793-1794 from designs of John Trumbull and demolished about 1822.
William Russell Birch & Son. "An Unfinished House, in Chestnut Street Philadelphia." From The City of Philadelphia. Philadelphia: William Birch, [1860]. McAllister restrike with the numeral "1" upper right corner. 8 x 10 5/8 (image). Engraving. Repaired tear in right hand margin just into plate mark; faint staining just inside plate mark left hand side; all not affecting image. Else, good condition. $500
When issued in 1800, William Birch's prints of Philadelphia formed the first series of views of any American city. This image shows the house being built for financier Robert Morris on the block bounded by Chestnut and Walnut Streets and Seventh and Eighth Streets. The house was designed by Pierre Charles L'Enfant, more famous for his plan of Washington D.C. Morris, who was so important in his role of helping to fund the American Revolution, fell on hard times during the construction of the house and ended up in prison. The house was unsalable and so it was demolished just about the time that this interesting print was issued by Birch.
This print is a restrike which was first issued by Desilver in 1841 and again by John McAllistar around 1860. The McAllister restrikes can be identified as such by a number engraved just outside the image in the upper right hand corner.
Axel L. Klinkowstrom, after Thomas Birch. "Bro öfver Skuylkill strömmen nära Philasdelphia." [Bridge over the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia]. From Atlas til Friherre Klinkowstroms Bref om de Forenta Staterne. Stockholm: Tryckeriet, 1824. 9 3/4 x 16 1/2 (image). Aquatint by Carl Fredrik Akrell. Hand color. Framed. $1,400
Baron Axel Klinkowstrom spent three years, from 1818 to 1820, in the United States as the emissary for Sweden. On his tours around the country, the Baron took copious notes and made many sketches. Upon his return to Sweden he issued a fascinating account of his travels, which was issued with an accompanying atlas that included nineteen views of New York, Washington and Philadelphia. The subject of this view is the Upper Ferry or Fairmount Bridge, a covered bridge over the Schuylkill River at Fairmount. It was built between 1809 and 1812, made entirely of wood and spanned a distance of 340 feet. Until it was destroyed by fire in 1838 the bridge was a Philadelphia landmark, both for its fine appearance and as an engineering feat. The scene is drawn from the eastern bank of the river near present day Philadelphia Museum of Art. Fairmount itself is not depicted, though the beginning of the slope is shown at right. Klinkowstrom's view is closely derived from Thomas Birch's image of the same site from a few years before.
George Lehman. "The Great Elm Tree of Shackamaxon (Now Kensington)." Philadelphia, ca. 1829. First state. Aquatint by G. Lehman. 12 1/2 x 18 1/2 (image). Full original hand color. Very good condition. Framed to museum specifications. Fielding: 951; Fowble: 258. $2,700
George Lehman, a native of Lancaster, moved to Philadelphia where he became a noted artist, engraver, lithographer, and publisher. Perhaps his first work of importance is this lovely view of Philadelphia from Kensington. Though this scene is similar works by William Birch and John James Barralet, Lehman drew his own image of this popular view-point. The famous Treaty Tree stands majestically in the center of the image, with the bustling port of Philadelphia seen in the distance beneath the tree's branches. There are many boats on the river, and a sailing ship is being constructed on the beach at left. A number of pedestrians are shown in the foreground, including an artist sitting beneath the tree making a sketch. Interestingly, a family of goats seems to have lived around the Treaty Tree, for Barralet showed goats in his watercolor of 1796, and three goats are also shown in Lehman's view, one walking along a branch of the tree itself.
W.H. Bartlett. Set of four framed prints: "Fairmount Gardens with the Schuylkill Bridge; Schuylkill Water Works; The United States Bank; The Exchange and Girard's Bank." From N.P. Willis' American Scenery. London: George Virtue, [1839-1840]. Octavo. 13 5/8 x 15 1/4 (frame size). Steel engraving. Hand coloring. Framed with handsome decorative matting. Very good condition. Note: the mat on the print of the "Exchange" is lighter in tone than the other three. Set of four: $1,200
William Henry Bartlett (1809-1854) was a British landscape artist famous for his views of all parts of the world. He made four trips to the United States to gather sketches for his book of views of America. This charming collection of natural wonders, architectural monuments and city landmarks was one of the most successful and popular series of such views to date. Bartlett's prints became the most influential travel engravings of America, and the four of Philadelphia are probably the most popular of any prints of the city.
Alfred Hoffy. "The Artillery Corps of Philadelphia Greys, (Company D). Comd. By Capt. Geo. Cadwalader . . ." Philadelphia: P.S. Duval, 1845. 12 3/4 x 16 1/2. Lithograph by A. Hoffy. Original hand color. Very good fine condition. Wainwright: 367. $1,200
A very rare image of the Philadelphia Greys drawn "on the spot" by Alfred Hoffy and printed by P.S. Duval, perhaps the finest American print publisher of the mid-nineteenth century. From about 1835 until his retirement in 1869, Duval dominated the city's energetic printmaking scene publishing numerous lithographic portraits, periodical illustrations, and historical works. Duval's success was his ability to attract the very best lithographic artists to work for him, amongst whom was Alfred Hoffy, the author of this view. The scene shows the Philadelphia Greys being drilled near Powelton in West Philadelphia. The company is commanded by Captain Cadwalader, one of the most impressive of Philadelphia's military figures. This print is one of the more unusual and interesting views of Philadelphia from the mid-nineteenth century.
Charles Magnus. "Satterlee U.S.A. General Hospital, West Philadelphia." Philadelphia: James D. Gay, 1864. 11 x 17 3/8. Chromolithograph. Prints of Philadelphia: 198.
Situated close to much of the fighting, but itself a safe haven, Philadelphia became the main site of U.S. military hospitals during the Civil War. Two very large hospitals were established. The 4,000 bed Mower Hospital was located just outside Chestnut Hill, near the current site of the Wyndmoor train station. The 4,500 bed Satterlee Hospital, initially called the West Philadelphia General Hospital, was located in an area bounded by present-day Baltimore Avenue and Pine, Forty-third and Forty-sixth Streets. This hospital was opened June 9, 1862, under the supervision of Dr. Isaac J. Hays. This bird's eye view shows the hospital comprised of long wards surrounded by a wooden stockade. Troop encampments are set up in the surrounding grounds and soldiers can be seen marching in a neighboring field. The Hospital for the Insane and other identifiable buildings are depicted in the distance. $625
M.M. Taylor. "St. Peter's Church, Philadelphia." From Historic Churches of America, Their Romance and Their History; illustrated by etchings, photogravures and other reproductions. Philadelphia: H. L. Everett, 1892-94. 11 x 7. Etching. Signed in plate by the artist. $225
St. Peter's at 3rd and Pine Streets is the second-oldest Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. Erected 1758-61, its spire and tower were finished in 1842.
Henry L. Everett was a Philadelphia publisher whose business in 1890 was at 227 South 6th Street. Historic Churches of America, published in the 1890s, contained illustrations and essays relating to about 60 churches, cathedrals, meetings and missions in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Jacob Riegel, Jr. "University of Pennsylvania." [1933]. 16 x 20. Modern reproduction screen print. Very good condition. Framed: $525; Unframed: $180
This is a modern reproduction of a pictorial map of University of Pennsylvania drawn by Jacob Riegel, Jr. Riegel (1889-1959) in 1933. Riegel was a a life-long resident of Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. A 1912 graduate of Princeton University and a WWI veteran, Riegel was an artist and cartographer, especially known for his sketches of historic buildings. He worked for architect Mantle Fielding, then worked in the art department of the lithographic and printing firm of Ketterlinus & Co.
March 20, 2021
Thomas Rowlandson. "Dr. Syntax Made Free of the Cellar." From The Tours of Dr. Syntax.... London: R. Ackermann, 1813. Octavo. 4 1/2 x 7 3/8. Aquatint by T. Rowlandson. Original hand coloring. $75
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Perhaps Rowlandson's most famous character, Dr. Syntax stands in for the thousands of early nineteenth-century tourists that swarmed the English countryside in search of the picturesque. Obsessed with finding "natural" beauty, these vacationers often found themselves in very artificial situations, inviting the tease of Rowlandson's witty eye. Reversing the creative process, he first drew a series of comic scenes, then commissioned James Combe to devise a narrative. Specifically, Rowlandson and Combe satirized the Reverend William Gilpin's flowery accounts of his picturesque tours, works very familiar to Britain's middle and upper classes. In place of Gilpin, the satirists insert stumbling parson Dr. Syntax into highly detailed landscapes and interiors. Like all good caricature, they comically twist current events and trends to produce visual jokes that transcend period and place.
George and Robert Isaac Cruikshank. "Midnight. Tom and Jerry at a Coffee Shop near the Olympic." From Pierce Egan's Life in London. London, 1820. Octavo. 4 x 7 1/4 (image). Aquatint by G. and R.I. Cruikshank. Full, original hand color. $75
Go to page with more images from Pierce Egan's Life in London
In the early nineteenth century, the English perfected the humorous illustrated story. These works, issued in an octavo format, were extremely popular with the British public. This popularity was primarily based on their delightful illustrations. Amongst the best of the illustrators were George and Isaac Robert Cruikshank. The sons of Isaac Cruikshank, a well known caricaturist in his own right, George and Isaac R. contributed to a number of publications, the most famous of which is this work. In these wonderful prints, Jerry Hawthorn and Corinthian Tom are shown in various scenes of Regency London. Thus not only are these charming examples of the work of the Cruikshanks, but they provide an insightful look into 'Life in London.'
Henry Shields. Plate 2. "Wendur." Famous Clyde Yachts, 1880-87. Glasgow & London: Oatts & Runciman, 1888. Approx. 8 x 11. Chromolithograph. Margins trimmed to image and mounted onto backing sheet with title. Very good condition. $550
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A handsome maritime print from a series celebrating the famous yachts that were being produced in nineteenth century Glasgow. The River Clyde was deepened in the early part of the century allowing for shipbuilding yards to be built along its banks. Hence, the industry flourished. Typical of the Marine painters of the time, these illustrations by Shields depict the vessels in full sail prominently filling the view. Decorative and serene, these prints are a lovely representation of Scots yacht building.
Bernard Picard. [Accurate Description of the . . . Customs of all Peoples of the World]. Translated from French into Low German by Abraham Moubach. Hauge: Alberts; Amsterdam: Hermanus Uytwerf; and Rotterdam: Jan Beman, 1728. Engravings.
VIRGINIA
This work first appeared in French entitled Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde and was published from 1723-1743. It consisted of ten volumes with text and engravings to illustrate the religious rituals and beliefs of the world. Picard never left Europe but used reports and illustrations from other first hand sources. The image of this print is from the well known publication by Theodore Debry which first illustrated the indigenous peoples of Virginia.
These prints are based upon John White's drawings made during the first attempt to form a colony, and the text is based upon Thomas Hariot's A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia, which was issued in 1588 in order to promote Raleigh's continued efforts at founding his colony. Note: Title in brackets is from the Stefan Lorant reference: The New World: The First Pictures of America, 1965.
Bernard Picard after John White. Plate 72. [Praying Around the Fire with Rattles]. From [Accurate Description of the . . . Customs of all Peoples of the World]. Translated from French into Low German by Abraham Moubach. Hauge: Alberts; Amsterdam: Hermanus Uytwerf; and Rotterdam: Jan Beman, 1728. 12 1/4 x 8 1/4 (image). Engraving. Minor water stain in right hand side just into plate mark bottom right hand corner; not affecting image. $375
Bernard Picard after John White. Plate 73. [The Tomb of the Weroans]. From [Accurate Description of the . . . Customs of all Peoples of the World]. Translated from French into Low German by Abraham Moubach. Hauge: Alberts; Amsterdam: Hermanus Uytwerf; and Rotterdam: Jan Beman, 1728. 12 1/4 x 8 1/4 (image). Engraving. Minor water stain left hand margin not affecting image. $375
FLORIDA
This work first appeared in French entitled Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde and was published from 1723-1743. It consisted of ten volumes with text and engravings to illustrate the religious rituals and beliefs of the world. Picard never left Europe but used reports and illustrations from other first hand sources. The image of this print is from the well known publication by Theodore Debry which first illustrated the indigenous peoples of Florida.
In 1564, a French expedition set sail for Florida under the command of René de Laudonnière. Accompanying him was the artist Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues. Note: Title in brackets is from the Stefan Lorant reference: The New World: The First Pictures of America, 1965.
Bernard Picard after Le Moyne. Plate 75. [Saturiba Goes to War] & [Outina Consults a Sorcerer]. From [Accurate Description of the . . . Customs of all Peoples of the World]. Translated from French into Low German by Abraham Moubach. Hauge: Alberts; Amsterdam: Hermanus Uytwerf; and Rotterdam: Jan Beman, 1728. 12 1/4 x 8 1/8 (image). Engraving. $275
Bernard Picard after Le Moyne. Plate 76. [Widows Approach the Chief] & [The Mourning Widows]. From [Accurate Description of the . . . Customs of all Peoples of the World]. Translated from French into Low German by Abraham Moubach. Hauge: Alberts; Amsterdam: Hermanus Uytwerf; and Rotterdam: Jan Beman, 1728. 12 1/2 x 8 1/8 (image). Engraving. Minor printers wrinkly just into image of bottom print. $275
Bernard Picard after Le Moyne. Plate 74. [The Sacrifice of First-Born Children] & [Offering the Skin of a Stag to the Sun]. From [Accurate Description of the . . . Customs of all Peoples of the World]. Translated from French into Low German by Abraham Moubach. Hauge: Alberts; Amsterdam: Hermanus Uytwerf; and Rotterdam: Jan Beman, 1728. 12 1/2 x 8 1/8 (image). Engraving. $275
Bernard Picard after Le Moyne. Plate 77. [Burial Ceremonies for a Chief or a Priest]. From [Accurate Description of the . . . Customs of all Peoples of the World]. Translated from French into Low German by Abraham Moubach. Hauge: Alberts; Amsterdam: Hermanus Uytwerf; and Rotterdam: Jan Beman, 1728. 12 1/8 x 8 1/4 (image). Engraving. Water stain right hand margin not affecting image. $375
James Mynde. "The Interview of Cortes and Montezuma in the City of Mexico." From John Harris' A Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels . . ." London: publisher unknown, ca. 1750. 8 1/4 x 13 (image). Engraving. Very narrow top margin. Else, very good condition. $175
This publication was first issued in 1705 and later revised for the 1744-48 edition, and again in 1764. This important collection includes the voyages of Magellan, Drake and other explorers and contained numerous maps and prints of natives, animals, plants, views, and portraits.
Unattributed. "The Inhabitants of California in their respective Dresses." From John Harris' A Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels . . ." London: publisher unknown, ca. 1750. 12 x 7 1/2 (image). Engraving. Very good condition. $175
This publication was first issued in 1705 and later revised for the 1744-48 edition, and again in 1764. This important collection includes the voyages of Magellan, Drake and other explorers and contained numerous maps and prints of natives, animals, plants, views, and portraits.
"Life and Age of Man / Life and Age of Woman." Chicago: George Cram, 415-417 Dearborn Street, ca. 1885-1890. 28 3/4 x 24. Chromolithograph. Lightly varnished; mounted on varnished maple rollers. Very good condition. $950
With up-to-date costumes and timely hairdos, the timeless subject of life's cycle appears in George Cram's "Life and Age of Man / Life and Age of Woman." Widespread since the advent of the printing press, visual reminders of life's fragility were especially popular with Victorian Protestants, a largely Anglo, Calvinist group whose beliefs centered on God's sovereignty and man's weakness. Through mourning jewelry and post-mortem portraits, they expressed both awareness of human mortality and belief in eternal life. Like the portraits, the "Life and Age of Man . . ." print could be framed to decorate a parlor or bedroom wall; on rollers (as seen here), it might serve as a teaching tool for a classroom or Sunday School.
Cram's "Life and Age of Man . . ." is identical in composition to those published by firms like Currier & Ives earlier in the nineteenth century (which likewise drew on European precedents) -- only time-sensitive details changed. Military uniforms, ladies' hairdos, and costume silhouettes were altered to appeal to the style-conscious middle class, who would have been the likely viewers/consumers of a fashionable reminder of an eternal theme. A very scarce interpretation of one of the most popular themes in Western print culture.
March 19, 2021
"Passenger Locomotive by the Rogers Locomotive and Machine Works, Patterson, New Jersey, U.S." From Zerah Colburn's Locomotive Engineering and the Mechanism of Railways. London & Glasgow: Willam Collins & Sons, 1871. 13 x 20. Steel engraving. With fold as issued. Left and right margins trimmed to edge of image as issued. Very good condition. $625
One of a series of large engravings showing various engines and railroad cars. These came from a Zerah Colburn's history of the steam engine in America, England and on the Continent. This work contained sixty four large engravings. Precisely drawn and engraved, these prints are wonderful pieces of railroadiana.
Prints by Edward Lamson Henry. New York: C. Klackner. Photogravures. Printed with color and finished by hand. Very good condition. In birdseye maple frames.
Fascinating historical images of the childhood of rapid transit. These prints are from a series done by C. Klackner depicting some of the most famous early passenger trains. The prints are based on accurate historic information, combining this interesting history with an impressive appearance.
Although best known for his industrial designs, Otto Kuhler (1894- 1977) is well regarded as a fine artist and draftsman. Born in Germany, Kuhler was the sole heir to his family's successful steel business, Kuhler Forges. After WWI however, the business and his family's fortune were in ruins.
After living briefly in Dusseldorf, and partly due to the advice of friend Joseph Pennell, he took up etching and emigrated to the States in 1923. Otto Kuhler's etchings of begrimed industry sprang from the same optimistic response to technology that led to his colorful streamlined designs for the Milwaukee, Lehigh and other railroads in the 1930s. His prints bridge art and industry -- freely-sketched scenes that celebrate precise engineering and industrial might. This merging of industry and art proved so successful that after years of submitting designs, a locomotive based on Kuhler's designs was built. The engine, Hiawatha, rolled out of the Schenectady, New York yard in May, 1935. It was the first streamlined steam locomotive to be built from scratch in America. This signaled the start of the next phase of his career- as a successful industrial designer.
W. Walter Calvert. "Visit Washington. Go By Train. Pennsylvania Railroad." [White House]. Pennsylvania Railroad poster, circa 1955. Approximately 40 x 25. Multiple creases and some repaired tears in the gold colored background at top of print.
Calvert, who lived in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, was a commercial artist who was a member of the Art Directors Club of Philadelphia, Sketch Club, and was commissioned by the Bell Telephone, Pennsylvania Railroad, Philadelphia Electric Company and other companies to provide art work for their advertising campaigns. $550
Homann Heirs after Johann Gabriele Doppelmayr. "Astronomia Comparativa." Nuremberg, ca. 1750. Ca. 19 x 23. Original hand color. Very good condition. $950
While the French and then the English generally dominated the cartographic world in the eighteenth century, the Homann firm from Nuremburg, Germany was producing many influential maps and atlases during this time. The firm was founded about 1702 by Johann Baptist Homann, who was appointed Geographer to the Emperor in 1715. In 1724, upon J.B. Homann's death, the company passed on to his son, Johann Christoph Homann and then to his heirs, who traded under the name of Homann Heirs from 1730 into the nineteenth century. These maps first appeared in Homann's edition of Doppelmayer's Star Atlas in 1742, and these examples were issued as part of of a Homann Heirs atlas of a few years later. The maps are typical of the detailed and bold style of the Homann cartographic output, of which the celestial maps are amongst the most attractive.
Louis Brion de la Tour. "Centre du Monde. Systèmes de Ptolémée et de Ticho-Brahé." From Atlas Général Méthodique et élémentaire . . . Paris: Brion de la Tour & Charles Desnos, 1761. 15 1/4 x 20 3/4 (image including printed decorative border). Engraving. Original hand color. Very good condition. $425
This map presents two different theories of the solar system by Ptolemy and Tycho Brahe. On the left is Ptolemy's design, with the Earth being the center of the solar system, and on the right is Brahe's, with the sun revolving around the Earth but the planets revolving around the sun. Descriptive information in French and a printed frame like border complete this informative and attractive celestial map.
Louis Brion de la Tour (1743 - 1803) was the Cartographer Royal to the King of France, and issued several important atlases mostly in partnership with Louis Charles Desnos (fl. 1750-1790). Their most notable work is generally regarded to be this atlas.
Samuel Leigh. Plate 26 "Aquarius, Piscis Australis & Ballon Aerostatique." From Urania's Mirror, or a View of the Heavens. London: S. Leigh, [1823]. Engraved chart mounted on card and with tissue backing. Original hand color. 7 3/4 x 5 3/8. Very good condition. Ref.: Peter Whitfield, The Mapping of the Heavens, pp. 112-13. $385
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A print from a charming and ingenious series of celestial charts showing the constellations as known in the early nineteenth century. The constellations are each depicted with a delightful zodiac vignette image, the stars also noted, and the entire card is highlighted with bright hand color. What is of particular interest and novelty, though, is the fact that the major stars are also indicated with a pierced hole in the card, letting the star locations shine through when the card is held to a light. Besides the many standard figures of the zodiac, which had long been used for mnemonic devices, many current figures that are no longer used are shown, such as a printing press and an "aerostatique" balloon. Unusual and most attractive.
Elijah H. Burritt. Pl. VIII. "A Celestial Planisphere, or Map of the Heavens." From Atlas, Designed to Illustrate the Geography of the Heavens. Hartford: F.J. Huntington, 1835. 14 x 20 3/4. Engraving. Original hand color. Excellent condition. $350
A celestial map from an interesting American atlas from the early nineteenth century by Elijah Hinsdale Burritt (1794-1838). Burritt was an educator and journalist, and he designed this atlas to illustrate his textbook The Geography of the Heavens. The maps were designed for students as an affordable alternative to a celestial globe. The delineations were based on Alexander Jamieson's maps of 1822, and they were designed to be detailed yet easy to read. Burritt's success in this has provided us with these charming maps.
Asa Smith. "Signs of the Zodiac." From Smith's Illustrated Astronomy, Designed for the Use of the Public or Common Schools in the United States. New York: Cady & Burgess, (1848-)1853. Ca. 10 x 8. Wood engravings. Some with hand highlighting. Very good condition. $85
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A print from a series of celestial illustrations from Asa Smith's Illustrated Astronomy. Written by the principal of Public School No. 12 in New York City, this work was aimed at school students. Smith stated is goal as "to present all the distinguishing principles in physical Astronomy with as few words as possible," and his text was presented in fifty separate lessons with a series of questions and answers. The handsome charts of the planets and stars are printed predominantly in black, which makes the images as similar as possible to what one would actually see in the night skies. A striking series of instructive astronomical illustrations from the mid nineteenth century.
March 18, 2021
John James Audubon. Plate CLXXXII. "Ground Dove." From The Birds of America. London: Robert Havell, 1827-38. Double Elephant folio. Full sheet measuring 24 7/8 x 37 7/8 inches. Watermark in lower left "J. Whatman Turkey Mill 1833." Aquatint. Full original hand color. Top and bottom margins have been folded to fit into its existing frame. Framed to museum specifications with ultraviolet screening Plexiglas in an antiqued gold frame. $6,800
John James Audubon. Plate CXCVII. "American Crossbill." From The Birds of America. London: Robert Havell, 1827-38. Double Elephant folio. Full sheet measuring 24 7/8 x 37 7/8 inches. Watermark in lower left "J. Whatman Turkey Mill 1833." Aquatint. Full original hand color. Top and bottom margins have been folded to fit into its existing frame. Framed to museum specifications with ultraviolet screening Plexiglas in an antiqued gold frame. $6,800
The name John James Audubon is synonymous with magnificent natural history prints. His legendary The Birds of America (1827-38) remains unequaled for scope, scale and for dramatic appeal. The publication of these 435 double elephant folio plates, each depicting its North American subject life-size, was a high point in a career fraught with all the turmoil and adventure seemingly appropriate to this artistic genius.
These prints are from the first edition series of Audubon's prints. Audubon's importance to the history of American ornithology and natural history illustration was immense. The size, drama, and quality of his superb prints well explains the impact of his work. These prints from the first edition of The Birds of America are some of the most coveted and famous images of American fauna and of the American wilderness ever done.
John James Audubon. From The Birds of America. Philadelphia: John Bowen, 1840-44; first edition. Royal octavo. Vignette images ca. 5 x 8". Lithographs. Original hand color.
John James Audubon, known both for his romantic life and his superb prints, is the most famous of all American natural history artists. For his pioneering travel around the United States in search of new subjects in the wild, his lifelike and dramatic style, and his monumental works on the birds and animals of North America, Audubon is, perhaps, also the greatest American natural history artist. Beginning in 1827, Audubon began to issue the prints for his monumental The Birds of America, which when completed ran to a total of 435 double elephant folio prints. Because of the continued strong demand, Audubon had a smaller, octavo size edition of these prints issued. The prints were produced with the same concern for quality and aesthetic appeal as the larger editions, resulting in a wonderful opportunity for the general public to own a part of Audubon's marvelous work.
A dramatic print from Dr. Thornton's justifiably famous Temple of Flora. Designed as a grand tribute to the Swedish botanist, Linnaeus, this work of large sized floral prints is considered by many to be the most magnificent such work ever produced. Each print was the result of a mixture of elaborate engraving processes. They were first printed in color and then finished by hand, making it one of the earliest works to use this method.
The prints have a bold, dramatic impact unlike any other, the result not only of the superb engraving and coloring, but also from Thornton's use of 'classical' landscapes in the backgrounds. The early strikes of these prints have a tactile quality that makes the flowers rise up from their background almost into three dimensions. With their varied and striking backgrounds, rich texture and color and imposing size, these are prints unlike any others, and this is an excellent example from this superb series.
H.C. Andrews. Plate 17. "Rosa Provincialis blanda." From Roses: or Monograph of the Genus Rosa: Containing Coloured Figures of All the Known Species and Beautiful Varieties, Drawn, Engraved, Described, and Coloured, from the Living Plants. London: H.C. Andrews, 1805. Quarto. 10 1/2 x 8 1/2 (image). Engraved and hand colored by H.C. Andrews. Excellent condition. Extremely rare. $675
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According to Gordon Dunthorne, in his Flower & Fruit Prints of the 18th and early 19th centuries, little is known about H.C. Andrews other than his address at 5 Knightsbridge, and his proficiency and prolificacy as an engraver, colorist and author of five series of botanical publications. As with all his works, these images were drawn, engraved and colored by Andrews alone. Andrews' Roses was the last of his botanical seriesAll of his hand colored engravings are desirable both for their fine details and their rarity. Images from the Roses are the most rare. These are exquisite and extraordinary images. (Dunthorne, item 12.)
George Brookshaw. Plate 26. [Green Grapes]. From The Horticultural Repository. London: Sherwood, Neely & Jones, [1820]-1823. Quarto. 9 3/8 x 5 (image). Aquatint. Full original hand color. Very good condition. $225
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This print is from a charming small series of fruits by Brookshaw, who is best known for his larger series of fruits, Pomona Britannica . . ., published in London from 1804-1812. This smaller series of 98 engravings of edible fruits and nuts was issued periodically until complete in July 1823. Completed after Brookshaw's death, the anonymous editor of the final fascicle said, "It is hoped . . . that the present work . . . will . . . form a suitable monument to [Brookshaw's] genius and talent." Indeed, they do.
J.A. Planson. Plate 38. [Four Carnations]. From Iconographie du Genre Œillet ou Choix des Œillets les Plus Beaux et Les Plus Rares... Paris: Crapelet, 1845. 12 1/2 x 9 (platemark). Etching. Full rich original hand color. Very good condition. $450
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This charming and richly colored series of carnations prints truly captures the essence of each flower in full bloom. The subjects are beautifully drawn and rendered with vivid color. The concern for scientific detail and accuracy is nicely balanced with an attention to aesthetics. The combined attraction of the scientific detail, the familiarity of the subjects, and the decorative and cheerful floral images make these prints unique and desirable.
March 17, 2021
James Cook. "A Chart of the Southern Extremity of America 1775." From Voyage Towards the Pole and Around the World. London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1777. 17 x 19 7/8. Engraving. With folds as issued. Excellent condition. $325
A map of the tip of South America showing the track of Cook's voyage around Tierra del Fuego. This map is from the first edition of Cook's second voyage on which he was told to sail as far south as possible to search for a southern continent.
After a painting by Lilly M[artin] Spencer. "The Pic Nic on the Fourth of July." New York: H. Peters, circa 1870. 21 3/4 x 29 3/4 (image) plus full margins. Engraved by Sam'l Hollyer & J. Roger. Repaired tears in margins at sides and top; one at top extending into image. Blemish in lower right margin.
Lilly Martin Spencer (1822-1902) executed domestic genre scenes, often including children and dogs. Her work has a distinct sentimental quality. Born in England to French parents, her family moved to America in 1830 to start a utopian colony. She began painting in her teens and had her first exhibition in 1841. This brought her artwork to the attention of a wealthy Cincinnati patron, Nicholas Longworth. He offered to send her to Europe to further her education, but she declined, instead spending much of her time working with John Insco Williams (1813-1873). In 1844, she married Benjamin Rush Spencer. She experienced some financial success in 1847 by selling her artwork through the Western Art-Union. Thereafter, Spencer moved to New York City where her popularity continued to grow. Unusual for the time, her husband, while being her business manager, served the domestic role in the relationship, taking care of the children so Lilly would have more time to paint. Lilly Martin Spencer had thirteen children, seven of whom survived. Throughout her career, she produced 500 works, many of which were reproduced as popular engravings and lithographs.
This print is a tour de force of her pictorial skills because it contains children, dogs, lovely costume elements and a bucolic landscape. While our limited reference capacity does not allow us to state when the painting was done, we can estimate the engraving being published in New York about 1870 because Spencer moved there from Cincinnati in 1847, and Hollyer returned to New York after a six year absence in 1866. The style suggest to us that the print was done in this second period when the artist and engraver were working in New York at the same time. $850
Anna Lea Merritt (1844-1930). [Sir] "George Gilbert Scott." (1811-1878) 1880. Etching after painting by George Redmond, R.A. 7 1/8 x 4 7/8. Signed in plate. $40
Edith Penman (1860-1929). [Country Road with Geese] ca. 1890. 4 3/4 x 8. Etching. $95
Julia Gridley Severance (1877-1972). [Cypress Trees] ca. 1920. 10 3/4 x 8. Etching. Signed in pencil. $175
Jessie Bryan Trefethen (1882-1978)"Gendarmerie, Mont St. Michel." 1944. 9 x 7 1/8. Etching. Signed in pencil by the artist. Edition: 9/10. $75
[Members of the New York Yacht Club 1905-6]. New York: Barclay Brothers, 1906. Photogravure. Print mounted to backing board but stable. Old mat burn in margins along with several light scratches and scrapes in image. 2 1/2 inch water stain in middle of image. Else, good condition. Scarce.
This photogravure commemorates the NYYC membership in the year of 1905-6. J. Pierpont Morgan donated a tract of land to the club in 1898 where the current NYYC club house now stands on West 44th Street. This club house opened to the membership in 1901 and by 1905 the membership had swelled to over 2000 members. In the background is the first club house at Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. In addition there are three yachts in the background, a steam yacht and two sailing yachts which represent the NYYC sailing prowess. Members who are obviously depicted are: J. Pierpont Morgan, Commodore Frederick G. Bourne, Vice Commodore Henry Walters, Rear Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt, Commodore E.D. Morgan and many other prominent figures in New York business and society. $1,200
Theo White. "City Hall." [Philadelphia]. Lithograph signed in pencil and initialed on the stone. On wove Zonen paper. Full sheet with deckle edge. 14 1/2 x 8 7/8. Ed:21. Very good condition. $350
Theo Ballou White (1902-1978) was a Philadelphia architect and printmaker who worked with lithography in the 1930s and 1940s, using the old stone method. White was prominent among those artists who participated in the growth of the new Philadelphia Museum of Art and the famous Print Club. He was an outstanding architect and was invested as a fellow in the American Institute of Architects in 1966. This print shows the artist-architect at his best in depicting one of the architectural icons of his home city.
March 16, 2021
Charles Eastlake. "Christ Blessing Little Children." Philadelphia: Bradley & Co., 1861. 11 3/4 x 16 (image). Mezzotint engraving by Samuel Sartain. Minor staining and scuffing in margins not affecting image. Large margins. Otherwise, very good condition. For the pair: $950
These two handsome engravings illustrate the New Testament story of Jesus explaining to his disciples that one must have the child-like innocence and acceptance of God in order to be welcomed into Heaven. Under the image are several lines of text from the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament:
And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Engraved by Samuel Sartain, the son of the famous printmaker John Sartain, the print is after the painting by Sir Charles Lock Eastlake (1793-1865) who painted it in 1839 and can be viewed today at the Manchester Art Gallery in England.
The first is a very early proof impression that was printed before the engraving was completed. One will note that the dress of the female figure in the foreground lacks detail. In addition, compare the quality of the inking and impression between the two prints. As multiple prints were pulled from the plate the engraved image began to wear and lost engraved detail and ability to retain ink. Very rare to have both an early unfinished proof and the finished product.
"Bombardment of Island 'Number Ten' in the Mississippi River." [March 15-April 7, 1862.] New York: Currier & Ives, 1862. Small folio. 8 x 12 1/2. A few repaired tears in wide margins. C:598. $600
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[Antiphonal illuminated manuscript]. 16th or 17th century. 25 1/2 and 18 1/2 (vellum) Old manuscript ink with gold leaf embellishments on vellum. Additional manuscript ink on verso. Numerous wrinkles in vellum as to be expected. Very old fill in bottom right hand corner. Else, very good condition. $650 in gold frame.
Henricus (or Hendrik) Spilman (1721-1784) was a Dutch draftsman and watercolorist specializing in landscapes and city views. Born in Amsterdam, Spilman became a student of Abraham de Haen II, and entered the Guild of Haarlem in 1742, engraving portraits and landscapes in the style of Everdingen and Berchem.
A delicately detailed watercolor view of three figures, two adults and a child, strolling along a canal, with a church in the near distance. Clusters of trees surround the church and a second building just visible to the right, and border the path to the left of the strolling family. Open fields extend into the right foreground under a lightly clouded sky. The church depicted may be the "Nieuwe Kerck" in Delft, built in the second half of the 16th century. This is a gentle and bucolic view of the Dutch countryside.
A summer scene along a Dutch canal. A large windmill dominates the left foreground, with all its features shown in detail, including a tiny figure at the rail. In the center foreground, three men work with a machine on the canal bank. Behind them the wide path stretches away into the distance. Trees line the far bank of the canal and surround the distant buildings. An interesting glimpse of mid-eighteenth century Dutch village life.
Louis Prang was the most successful American publisher of chromolithographs partly because he had a good sense of what the general public liked. One of the most popular subjects for art was views of American scenes, and this charming image of the landscape near Farmington, Connecticut is a fine example of such a view by Prang. Taken from a painting by James M. Hart, and it is a fine scene of New England in the autumn. $475
"Autumn on the Kennebec, Maine." Ca. 1870. Chromolithograph. 8 1/2 x 13 1/4. Margins trimmed to image and mounted on board as originally issued. Very good condition. In period frame.
An attractive autumnal scene of Kennebec, Maine. This is a nice example of the chromolithographs issued in the second part of the nineteenth century. This print is unattributed, but it is of a typical quality of the better publishers of the second half of the nineteenth century. A lovely print that is a fine exemplar of the period. $275
Eastman Johnson. "The Barefoot Boy." Boston: L. Prang & Co., 1867-69. 12 3/4 x 9 3/4. Chromolithograph. Margins trimmed to image and print mounted on board as originally issued. With original Prang print label on verso. Very good condition. In original period frame.
Johnson's "The Barefoot Boy" is one of the most famous of all Prang's chromos, advertised by Prang as the personification of the American character: the boy "in homespun clothing, barefooted," symbolizing "that self-reliant aspect which characterizes the rural and backwoods children." Based by Eastman Johnson on John Greenleaf Whittier's poem, "The Barefoot Boy," the print was praised in magazines and books as the paradigm of the quality chromolithographs could display, and Prang claimed that it was "the most popular of all our publications." It took three months to make the twenty-six stones used to make this print and another five months to print the first run. For promotion, Prang provided free copies to the poet and painter and then quoted their replies in his advertisements. Whittier wrote, "It is a charming illustration of my little poem, and in every way satisfactory as a work of art"; and Johnson claimed that, "It strikes me as being one of the best chromolithographs I have ever seen." This print is not only a classic American genre image, but it is a wonderful example of the quality of prints published by the greatest of American chromolithographic publishers. $625
March 12, 2021
Lucas Jansz Waghenaer. "Die Zee Custen va Biscaijen tusschen Laredo en Sentillana . . ." [Northern Spain]. Antwerp, 1583. 13 x 20 (neat lines). Engraved by Joannes Doetecum. Full original hand color. Very good condition. Framed. $2,500
A fine and detailed sea chart of the northern coastline of Spain along the Bay of Biscay. Soundings, anchorages, and other navigational information appear along the coast, with nice topographical detail shown inland. Two vessels, two sea monsters, and a 32-point compass rose decorate the sea. The title and distance scales are each enclosed by their own ornate cartouche. There is a land approach view running across the top of the sheet. Waghenaer's charts are renowned for their fine engraving by the best craftsmen of the period including Theodor de Bry and the Doetecum brothers.
Johannes Blaeu. "Roma Vetus Nobilissimo, Prudentissimoque Domino . . ." [Ancient Rome]. Amsterdam: Johannes Blaeu, 1663. From Theatrum Civitatum et Admirandorum Italiae. 19 x 21 1/2 (neat lines). Engraving. Original hand color. Very good condition. Framed. $1,500
North is oriented to the left on this detailed bird's-eye plan of ancient Rome. The Tiber River flows through the walls, and dozens of important buildings, churches, monuments and theaters are shown. The map is dedicated to Simon van Hoorn, who was a Mayor of Amsterdam and Governor of the VOC (better known as the Dutch East India Company), and features his coat of arms.
"Map Of The United States, and Territories. Together With Canada &c." Philadelphia: S.A. Mitchell Jr., 1864. Lithograph. Original hand color. 13 1/4 x 21 1/4. With decorative floral border. Very good condition.
For most of the middle part of the nineteenth century, the firm founded by S. Augustus Mitchell dominated American cartography in output and influence. This fine map is from one of his son's atlases issued in 1867. It depicts the political divisions of the country just about the time that the Wyoming Territory was created (1869). This territory was created out of the southwestern part of the Dakota Territory and this map names it and roughly indicates its proposed borders with a dotted line. Detail in the map is accurate, clear and copious. The eastern part of the country is filled with railroads, roads, towns, and so forth, and the trans-Mississippi west also contains an impressive amount of information on forts, settlements, rivers, some mountains, and Indian territories. Of particular note are the depictions of the "Overland Mail Route" and the proposed railroad routes. $425
W.J. Condit/ C. Milbourne. "The Government House." New York: H.R. Robinson, 1847. Second stone. Chromolithograph. Printed in color by Wm. Ells. 14 3/4 x 21 1/4. Old mat burn in margins not affecting image. Otherwise, very good condition. Bright. Ref: Stokes, The Iconography of Manhattan Island, plate 66.
An interesting historical view of the "Government House" as it looked in 1797, issued in the mid-nineteenth century. The image (and the original watercolor) has the signature of C. Milbourne, "Delin Et Excu'd," that is drawn and executed by C. Milbourne. However, the credit for the image says it is "From the original drawing by W.J. Condit." This seems to indicate either that Milbourne painted the image after a drawing by Condit, or Condit drew the lithograph after Milbourne's watercolor.
The Government House was built in 1790, designed to be George Washington's house when New York was the Capital. However, the Capital was moved to Philadelphia in 1790, so the house became the New York Governor's house, and was occupied by both George Clinton and John Jay. In 1799, the building became the Custom House, lasting until 1815 when it was torn down. The building stood on Broadway facing Bowling Green, the latter of which can be seen at left. The original watercolor was drawn on the spot, so despite being issued a half century later, this print gives us an excellent image of New York City at the end of the eighteenth century. $900
Unattributed. "Castle Garden, 1850." New York: Jacques and Brother, 1850. 13 1/2 x 20. Chromolithograph. Large margins. Very good condition. Deak: Picturing New York, p.66.
Castle Garden, also known as Castle Clinton or Fort Clinton, is a circular sandstone fort and national monument in Battery Park at the southern tip of New York City. This wonderful scene depicts Castle Garden surrounded by water prior to it physically becoming a part of Manhattan. Many people are shown strolling along Battery Park with ships and boats in the distance of New York Bay. This print is an enlarged version of an earlier print issued about 1840 by the lithographer D. W. Lewis. Little is known about the publishers of this print, but they were mostly known for printing a large number of illustrated sheet music covers from 1846-1852. A wonderful and tranquil scene of this famous New York City landmark. $950
"Across the Rocky Mountains." Cincinnati: William M. Donaldson & Co., 1879. 22 1/2 x 29 1/2. Chromolithograph. Margins trimmed to image as originally issued. Very good condition.
A majestic Western scene, produced in chromolithography by the Donaldson company in Cincinnati. This firm specialized in circus posters, but also produced fine chromolithographs for framing and display, such as this dramatic print. The Rocky Mountains are shown towering over a forested valley. Snow, clouds and mist hug the mountain peaks. In the foreground are some Indians pointing as the train bursts thru the tunnel opening. Much of the West was still unknown at this time. The whole scene is a wonderful representation of Manifest Destiny. Man's ability to over come any topographical obstacle and his inevitable quest to conquer the West. Overall a very atmospheric and dramatic image of the Rocky Mountains. $950
Unattributed. [Yosemite Valley]. Washington: D.S. Norris & Co, 1873. Chromolithograph by Charles H. Crosby & Co., Boston. 14 x 20. On original canvas and in original wood frame. Some minor surface spotting. Overall, very good condition.
A lovely image of Yosemite Valley produced by the Charles Crosby's chromolithographic firm. Not as well-known as the more famous Boston firm of Louis Prang, Crosby had a similar business of producing chromolithographs intended to have the appearance of oil paintings so that the general public could hang "fine art" in their homes. Yosemite first came to the nation's consciousness in the 1850s and 60s, being set aside as park land in the Yosemite Grant of 1864, but with the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, this became a prime destination for those in the east. Naturally, this created an interest in images of this magnificent natural wonder, which was met by Crosby with this fine chromolithograph. The view is, as it happens, very similar to the Thomas Hill chromolithograph of Yosemite published by Prang in 1869, and it is not unlikely that Crosby's staff artist essentially copied Hill's image with some minor modifications. One reference gives the artist as C. Clarke, but no further information has been found on that artist. Whatever its source, it was prints like this, which would have hung in many post-Civil War homes, which helped form the image many Americans had of Yosemite. $675
Ferdinand Bellermann (1814-1889). "South American Forest Scene, I." [Venezuela]. New York: S. Zickel, 1873. 15 3/8 x 21 1/16 (image) plus margins. Chromolithograph by Gustav W. Seitz. Crack in image lower left hand corner in-painted. Old repaired tear in margin. Scuffing in margins. None affecting image. Else, very good condition.
Bellerman was an artist known for his ability to paint landscapes but also accurately depict flora and fauna. In 1842, he traveled to Venezuela upon an invitation from a wealthy merchant to sketch the various plants. Between 1842 and 1846 the nation of Venezuela was formed by splitting off of Columbia. Bellerman is the first artist to tour the country extensively sketching and painting various scenes. Even though this print states it's a scene of a South American forest it is in all probability a scene in the Venezuelan jungle. $750
Ferdinand Bellermann (1814-1889). "South American Forest Scene, II." [Venezuela]. New York: S. Zickel, 1873. 15 1/4 x 21 1/4 (image) plus margins. Chromolithograph by Gustav W. Seitz. Several tears in margins expertly repaired. Bottom right hand corner chipped. Scuffing in margins. None affecting image. Else, very good condition.
Bellerman was an artist known for his ability to paint landscapes but also accurately depict flora and fauna. In 1842, he traveled to Venezuela upon an invitation from a wealthy merchant to sketch the various plants. Between 1842 and 1846 the nation of Venezuela was formed by splitting off of Columbia. Bellerman is the first artist to tour the country extensively sketching and painting various scenes. Even though this print states it's a scene of a South American forest it is in all probability a scene in the Venezuelan jungle. $750
A.B. Frost. "A College Regatta." From Harper's Weekly. New York, July 17, 1880. 13 1/2 x 19 5/8. Wood engraving. $475
Harper's Weekly was a New York based newspaper in the last half of the 19th and early 20th century. In weekly issues, Harper's presented a mixture of news stories, gossip, poetry, and most notably, wood-engraved illustrations. These pictures remain one of the best sources for lively, informative images of 19th-century America. With photographs in a primitive stage, and no television, it is through these illustrations that much of the country got its visual information about the events, personalities and places of the time. These illustrations are also one of the few sources we have today for these same things. Major artists were employed to do drawings on the spot, which were then turned into lively and detailed prints in an amazingly short period of time. While originally issued in large numbers, few have survived the ages in good condition. These are interesting, historical and very collectable prints. This delightful image shows a four oar boat from Columbia.
"Centennial Regatta on the Schuylkill. - Trial Heats of the Four Oared Shell Races, August 28th, 1876." From Frank Leslie's Historical Register of the Centennial Exposition. New York: Frank Leslie, 1876. 14 x 20 1/4. Wood engraving. $475
Frank Leslie was one of the most important publishers of wood-engraved prints during the second half of the nineteenth century. His Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper was one of the two largest weekly papers in the United States and he was also involved in a number of other publications. One of these was the Historical Register of the Centennial Exposition. This was a bound volume of text and wood-engraved illustrations concerning the Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876. The Register covered all subjects related to the exhibition, including buildings, parades, visitors, scenes, and activities. This print shows a race on the Schuylkill River held August 22, 1876. It is a fine example of this volume and a wonderful image of rowing on the Schuylkill.
March 11, 2021
Thomas Conder. "Various Plans and Draughts of Cities, Towns , Harbours . . ." [New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Charlestown and Havanna]. London: ca. 1780. 11 3/4 x 8 1/4 (image). Engraving. Some soiling middle to upper left hand side. Else, good condition. $275
The publisher of this map, which shows a series of smaller maps of American cities, is unknown. However this map did appear in Millar's Geography, which was a wonderful collection of maps, prints and text issued in London in 1781. All the American maps are based on larger maps issued by William Faden.
Unattributed. "Ireland" From Black's General Atlas. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black, 1865. Lithograph printed in color. 19 3/4 x 15 1/4. Horizontal fold as issued. Repaired tear in margin. Else, very good condition. $325
A map from a series of precisely detailed maps of the world from one of the leading British mapmaking firms of the nineteenth century. Adam and Charles Black issued atlases from the 1840s through the 80s, keeping their maps as current as possible. Note the progress of railroads out of Dublin. This handsome map is a good example of their output.
Unattributed. "The World. With Comparative Views of the Heights and Lengths of the World's Mountains and Rivers." From Black's General Atlas. Edinburgh: A. & C. Black, 1865. Lithograph printed in color. 19 3/4 x 15 1/4. Repaired tear along center fold. Else, very good condition. $250
A map from a series of precisely detailed maps of the world from one of the leading British mapmaking firms of the nineteenth century. Adam and Charles Black issued atlases from the 1840s through the 80s, keeping their maps as current as possible. Note the progress of railroads out of Dublin. This handsome map is a good example of their output.
"The World upon a Globular Projection and with a Gazetteer of Information." Boston, Ottawa, New York: The Home Educator Company, 1907. 32 1/2 x 38.
Large folding map, the oval map (on a scale of 655 miles per inch) printed in color and surrounded by general information especially about the United States and Canada, plus tables, etc., comparing the finances, military strength, and the like, of the largest nation states of the time. Folded into original black boards (9 x 5 1/2). $150
R. Baxter Blair. "Revolutionary War 1775-1783." From Hart American History Series. Chicago: Denoyer-Geppert Co., 1917, 1926. Credits to: "Albert Bushnell Hart L.L.D., Harvard University" The geographer was "L. Philip Denoyer." "Compiled and drawn by R. Baxter Blair." Lithographed in color. 31 1/2 x 44. Wall map backed on linen and folded into fifteen sections. Insets show: "Operations Near Boston," "Newport 1778," Saratoga Campaign 1777", "Central Campaigns 1776-1778" and "Virginia Campaigns 1781. Grommets along the top for hanging. Some small chips along bottom edge not touching image. Else, very good condition.
This large school map uses colors and codes to show the major theatres of the American Revolution. Movements by American, British and French forces are represented by dramatic arrow tipped solid and dotted lines. Each line is dated to retain information on the chronology of events. $225
Unattributed. "Geburts-und Tauf-Schein." [Birth and Baptism] of George Klein dated 1844 and confirmed in 1860. Philadelphia: Schafer & Koradi, ca. 1865. Lithograph. 16 1/2 x 13 (paper). Original hand color. Manuscript ink. Repair tear in margins. Paper time toned with scattered creases. Else, fine condition. $275
Ernst Karl Schafer, a German immigrant book dealer in Philadelphia founded the publishing firm, along with Rudolph Koradi in 1851 of Schaefer & Koradi a leading Philadelphia German publishing house.
Unattributed. "Geburts-und Tauffchein" [Birth and Baptism] Heinrich Klein. 1871. [Upper Salford, Montgomery County PA]. Reading, PA: Eagle Book Store, ca. 1870. Wood engraving. 17 x 14 (paper). Watercolor and manuscript ink. Upper right hand corner chipped with some scattered spotting. Repaired tear into publication info at bottom. $175
Printed certificate with angels facing forward at sides, pair of birds on branch in bottom corners, cherub reclining on cloud at top center.
Unattributed. "Geburts-und Tauffchein" [Birth and Baptism] Heinrich Nees. 1867. [Upper Salford, Montgomery County PA]. Reading, PA: Eagle Book Store, ca. 1867. Wood engraving. 17 x 14 (paper). Watercolor and manuscript ink. Minor spotting above cherub at top. $175
Printed certificate with angels facing forward at sides, pair of birds on branch in bottom corners, cherub reclining on cloud at top center.
Unattributed. "Certificate of Birth and Baptism" for Emma Karie Lucyann Dengler born May 28, 1881. [Lowell Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania]. Reading, PA: Eagle Book Store, ca. 1880. Wood engraving. 17 x 14 (paper). Watercolor and manuscript ink. Staining just below cherub at top. $175
Printed certificate with angels facing forward at sides, pair of birds on branch in bottom corners, cherub reclining on cloud at top center.
March 9, 2021
J.-Fr. Boucher. Plate 109. [Ornate Table]. From Livre de Meubles.... Paris, ca. 1780. Folio. 7 1/4 x 12 3/8 (image). Engraving. Early hand color. Excellent condition. $250
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In this comprehensive snapshot of French design, Boucher offers decorators, architects, and cabinetmakers a print source for the latest designs of the 1780s. With features ranging from garden gates to candlesticks, from library cases to bathtubs, each group of these prints (sold by subscription in cahiers) showcased the many styles of the period: English, Rhineish, Italian, Roman, and, of course, French. In order to produce the highly-coordinated rooms demanded by fashionable customers, craftsmen (including cabinetmakers, metalsmiths, architects, and ceramicists) needed a common design source. Books like Boucher's provided necessary, cutting-edge information to those who made and purchased decorative arts in the eighteenth century.
Giovanni Battista Belzoni. Plate 6. "From the Tombs of the Kings at Thebes, Discovered by G. Belzoni." From Illustrative of the Researches and Operations of G. Belzoni in Egypt and Nubia. London: John Murray, 1822. Folio. 9 3/4 x 19 3/4 (image). Aquatint. Full original hand color. Very good condition. $550
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Belzoni, traveled to Cairo in 1816 in order to interest Mohammed Ali in a hydraulic lifting device that he had invented. This venture being unsuccessful, Belzoni was hired by the British Consul, Henry Saltto assist with getting the head and shoulders of a colossal statue from Thebes to England. Belzoni then turned to archeological explorations in the Thebes area. Belzoni was the first to perform large scale excavations in the Valley of the Kings, and he discovered many tombs, including some major ones. He mounted his excavations on a massive scale, and he was highly systematic in his approach. After leaving Egypt in 1819, Belzoni published his famous Narrative, a work that excited huge interest. In 1822, the atlas of prints to accompany this work was issued, containing many lovely scenes and brilliant renderings of the tomb paintings that Belzoni discovered. The hieroglyphs of the tombs are precisely rendered and the color vividly captured.
J.F. Laycock. "Bombardment of Fort Fisher. Jan.15th. 1865." New York: Endicott & Co., 1865. 18 x 29 7/8. Lithotint. Good borders. Five vertical/folds with tears with numerous small tears in image. Upper left hand corner chipped. Print has been professionally conserved with archival backing. Bottom half of dedication missing. Fine condition.
In December of 1864, Grant sent Benjamin Butler to capture the city of Wilmington, N.C., from the sea. Capturing Ft. Fisher at the mouth of the Cape Fear River was necessary, and Butler's attempts failed. True to form, Grant did not back off but in the next month sent Major General Alfred Howe Terry (1827-90) with Admiral David Dixon Porter (1813-1891) to take the fort. This scene shows the opening bombardment by the naval force of 60 vessels and 627 guns as they bombarded the peninsula prior to 6,000 infantry and cavalry landing north of the fort. In the foreground is the Mound Battery which held out from dawn until 3:00 p m when the Union troops landed and cut off the Confederates on the peninsula. This large and dramatic piece of battle art shows the fall of the last Confederate stronghold on the Atlantic coast. $375
"The Old Farm House." New York: Currier & Ives, 1872. Lithograph. Original hand color. Small folio. 8 3/8 x 12 3/8. Very good condition. C:4557. $1,800
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Owen Jones. "Chinese No. 4." From The Grammar of Ornament. London: Day and Son, 1865-1910. 11 3/4 x 7 3/4 (image). Chromolithograph by F. Bedford. Very good condition. $125
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A print from Owen Jones' handsome series of chromolithographic plates illustrating the many different styles of decoration used from ancient times to the mid-nineteenth century by civilizations from all parts of the world. Ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, Celts, Maya, Persia, India and other Asian cultures are represented, as well as Medieval, Renaissance and later styles used in European countries. Drawing from the collection now known as the Victoria and Albert Museum, Jones distilled widely varying forms into their essential visual vocabulary, arranging design components in a new, accessible manner. Fabulously colorful and appealing images from the early days of chromolithography.
Axel Herman Haig. "Monreal Cathedral." 1907. 27 x 18. CL212. Etching. Signed in pencil. Very good condition. Ref: Axel Haig and the Victorian Vision of the Middle Ages by J. Mordaunt Crook & C.A. Lennot-Boyd, 1984. $800
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Axel Herman Haig (1835-1921) was born in Sweden. In 1875 Haig traveled to Sicily, Italy, and Germany to sketch the local scenery. Many of his etchings came from these early drawings. Haig did not begin etching until 1870 and he was for the most part a self-taught printmaker. The first exhibition of his etchings was in 1880, when his work was praised by many. It was in this same year that Haig, along with Francis Seymour Haden and others, founded the Royal Academy of Painters-Etchers and Engravers. Haig always distinguished between architectural drawings and drawings of architecture. In all of his etchings, Haig's objective was to incorporate a balance between a romantic and a dramatic effect, but also to depict his subject as accurately as possible.
Nicole Groult. No. 368 "Alasca." From Les Créations Parisiennes, La Mode est un Art. Paris: 1929-1930. 7 1/2 x 3 3/8 (image). Lithograph. Pochoir color. Very good condition. $165
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These elegant fashion illustrations from Les Créations Parisiennes, carried on the tradition for the women of the art deco era. Each print features one or two beautiful women in complimentary dresses suitable for the season with the names of the couturiers listed below. Among the notable designers are Patou, Poiret, Armand, Bernard, Dupouy-Magnin, and Paquin. These particular prints are great examples of the transition that fashion went through from the twenties to the thirties. The androgynous styles of the twenties were being replaced by the curvier and more ladylike silhouettes of the thirties. The prints are a wonderful reminder of this beautiful and glamorous time in Parisian fashion.
Frank Weston Benson (1862-1951). "Wide Marshes." 1920. 6 7/8 x 10 3/4. Etching. Ed:150. Signed in pencil. $1,400
Robert Riggs. "Ward Rounds." #33. Ca. 1940. Lithograph. 14 1/8 x 18 7/8. Bassham: 79. Commissioned by Smith, Kline French. Signed and titled in pencil. Excellent condition. $1,500
March 5, 2021
Unattributed. [The gruesome attack of the Indians on the English, in Carolina . . .]. [South Carolina]. Title in Dutch and Latin. Amsterdam: Peter Schenk, ca. 1720. 5 1/4 x 7 1/8 (image). Engraving. Narrow but sufficient margins. Very good condition. Very rare. $1,200
This small engraving is the earliest image of the Pocotaligo massacre of April 15, 1715 in South Carolina. This massacre was the catalyst of the Yamasee War (1715-16) when Yamasee Indians killed 90 white traders and families due to conflicts over land encroachment and fur trading. Neighboring Indian tribes with the exception of the Cherokee and Creek tribes joined the rebellion and continued to raid trading posts and farms. The Indian revolt was eventually put down with additional military help and supplies from neighboring colonies. The surviving Yamasee fled to Florida along with other tribes which eventually form the Seminole tribe.
The engraver of this print was Peter Schenk the Younger (1693-1775) who is best known for engraving maps and city views. This print is one of nine scenes issued on one sheet depicting important current events of that time.
After Tanner. "North America XIV: Florida." London: SDUK, 1834. 16 1/8 x 12 1/8 (image). Engraving by J. & C. Walker. Original outline hand-coloring. Narrow margins at top and bottom, else very good condition.
A precise and cleanly drawn map of Florida by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK). This wonderful English enterprise was devoted to the spreading of up-to-date information and the enhancing of understanding. This crisply drawn map of Florida is an important early rendering of the state. It is based on the work of Tanner, an influential American cartographer. The careful detail and fine engraving show off the SDUK work at its best. $375
John W. Dodge. "Henry Clay." [New York: J.W. Dodge, 1843.] Republished by R. Lewis & A. Harris, New York, 1852. 19 1/2 x 15. Engraving on steel by H.S. Sadd. Printed by Coates & Cosine. Full margins. Very good condition. $625
A striking, full length portrait of a middle-aged Clay sitting in the country near his home, Ashland. Clay sits on a mound with a dog at his feet, and Ashland is just visible in the distance. The house is also shown in a nicely engraved vignette remarque below the main image. This print is typical of the high-quality American portraits of the middle of the nineteenth century, with excellent engraving and impressive size. The print was first issued in 1843, in part to help the political career of Clay, who was gearing up for his Presidential bid of 1844. When Clay died, in 1852, there was a renewed interest in this great American, so R. Lewis and A. Harris, New York publishers, decided to reissue the engraving. Clay is shown in the middle of his career, as an educated man but one close to his Kentucky countryside. This handsome portrait would have graced many homes of his fellow citizens.
Waterman Lily Ormsby. "Maj. Gen. Geo. B. M'Clellan, Late Commanding United States Army." Second state. New York: [Joseph Lang], ca. 1862-63. 22 1/4 x 16 7/8. Steel engraving by W.L. Ormsby. Some staining in margins and faint water stain upper left corner just into plate mark; all not affecting image. Else, very good condition. $350
A handsome, full length portrait of George McClellan mounted on a horse in full uniform. The image was drawn and engraved by W.L. Ormsby, who issued a number of historical images around the middle of the century. This is a second state of this print, which has "Late" added to the title. This shows that the print was original issued when McClellan was commanding the army, but was reissued, with the addition, even after he had been dismissed in early 1862. A fort and some troops can be seen in the background. Both states of this portrait were engraved so that the head of McClellan was transferred onto an 1852 portrait of Gen. Franklin Pierce done during the Mexican War. See Milton Kaplan, "Heads of State" in Winterthur Portfolio 6: 1970: 135-44.
R. Holland. "Battle of the Weldon Rail-Road." Boston: J.H. Bufford, ca. 1864. 17 5/8 x 26 1/4. Sepia tinted lithograph. Margins complete. Some tears in image. Some repaired surface blemishes. Overall image and condition is very good. $875
A dramatic view of the Battle of the Weldon Railroad on August 21st. 1864, with two smaller vignettes in the upper corners showing the actions of August 18th and 19th. This battle, also known as the Battle of Globe Tavern or the Battle of Six Mile House, involved an attempt by the Union troops under Warren to cut off communication of the Confederate troops with Richmond using this rail line. The tracks of the railroad can be seen cutting across the main image, with the Federal front extending across the picture. The viewpoint from behind the Union line, with the Confederate line barely visible in the distance, combined with the realism of the scenes, leads to the supposition that R. Holland produced his images on the spot. The Union front consists of infantry and cannons, with ammunition carriages, messengers, officers and the wounded and dead shown behind the front line. The image is finely rendered and lithographed, presenting an almost photographic feel to the print. A fascinating and rare Civil War print.
Giovan Benedetto Castiglione. [Noah in front of the Ark] pl. 31 From Recueil d'éstampes d'après les plus célèbres tableaux de la Galérie Royale de Dresde, volume II. Dresden: ca. 1757. 14 3/8 x 18 1/2. Charles François Hutin intermediary draftsman; engraving and etching by Pierre Aveline. Short tears at extreme margins. Light toning. Else very good condition.
A charming scene of Noah and pairs of animals as the ark was being prepared. His sons are seen in the background loading supplies. $675
March 4, 2021
Alexis Hubert Jaillot after Nicolas Sanson. "Le Royaume de Portugal et des Algarves . . ." From Atlas Nouveau. Amsterdam: Jean Covens & Cornelius Mortier, ca. 1725. 29 1/2 x 21 3/4 (neatlines). Original outline color. Two repaired tears just into neat lines. Two small circular stains in map. Soiling in margins. Else fine condition. $325
A fine map of Portugal based on the work of 'the father of French cartography,' Nicolas Sanson. Modern cartography is usually thought of beginning with a period dominated by the Dutch school, with such notables as Ortelius, Mercator, Blaeu, and Hondius. This age was followed by a period of dominance by the French school of cartography, the beginning date of which is usually given as 1650, when Nicolas Sanson began publishing his important maps. The importance of Sanson is reflected by the fact that it is with his maps that the center of cartographic publishing and influence shifted from the Low Countries to France. Sanson's early maps were redrawn and issued in a larger format by his son-in-law Hubert Jaillot, and such were their influence that Jaillot's atlas of these maps, the Atlas Nouveau, was picked up by the Dutch firm of Covens and Mortier, who reissued it about 1725.
Emanuel Bowen. "A New and Accurate Map of the World." From John Harris' Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca. or, A Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels. London, 1744. 11 1/4 x 21 1/4. Engraving. Narrow margin at left, as issued. Very good condition. $1,250
This chart of the world on an oval projection appeared in John Harris' Complete Collection of Voyages and Travels, which included many accounts of explorations that could be followed by the reader on this detailed map. Bowen was careful to shown only explored parts of the world, so the northwest part of America is blank except for the label "Parts Undiscovered." The western coast of Australia, the southern outline of Tasmania, and the western coast of New Zealand, all discovered at the time, are shown, with a shade line on the eastern part of Australia showing a projected coastline there. Bowen's map is based on the records of the circumnavigations of Magellan, Drake and Anson, whose tracks are shown. A wonderful document of the state of knowledge about the world prior to Cook's voyages.
John Gibson. [A New Map of the Whole Continent of America . . .] London: Laurie & Whittle, 1794. 20 3/8 x 46 3/4. Engraving. Original hand color. Top two sheets (joined) of four. Several old vertical folds. Numerous short tears in map from map extremities newly repaired with archival tape along with previous old repairs. Small ink smear in Bay of Panama. Else, fine condition. $825
The top top half of a wonderful, large four sheet map of the American continent from northern Canada down to the southern tip of South America, including the West Indies, and the western tip of Africa and Europe. This map was originally drawn by John Gibson in 1763, and it was a modified version of D'Anville's map of North & South America, and it was later updated using the cartographic information of Governor Thomas Pownall, who was one of America's important early cartographers.
The version updated with Thomas Pownall's information was first issued in 1777 by Sayer & Bennett, using information from Pownall's important maps of the preceding three decades, including his important reissue of Lewis Evans map of the Middle Colonies with his own addendum showing New England. This is a further updated issue by Laurie & Whittle later in the century. The detail depicted is impressive, including rivers, lakes, towns, Indian settlements, mountains, roads, and many other such features. Also included is a table listing the United States and the possessions of the various European powers.
Unattributed. "Principal Events in the life of George Washington in this States that lie between the Hudson and Savannah." New York: General Drafting Company, ca. 1932. 26 x 17 1/2. Color lithograph. With folds as issued. Paper loss in lower left hand margin corner, not affecting image. Else, fine condition. $150
A detailed pictorial map associated with the important events and sites in the life of George Washington. This map was produced by the General Drafting Company and distributed by Standard Oil to its customers for the 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth.
Colen Campbell. "Longford Castle, the seat of the Earl of Radnor in Wiltshire." [principal front] Prints from Vitruvius Britannicus: or, the British Architect. London, 1731. 12 3/4 x 21 1/2 (plate mark). Folio. Engraving. Full margins. Printer's wrinkle upper right hand corner of plate mark. Very good condition. $475
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A print from a series of distinguished architectural views and plans of important contemporaneous British buildings, by one of England's famed 18th-century architects. Colen Campbell's purpose, through these large and beautifully executed drawings, was to praise and promote a great school of neo-Palladian design and building by proudly illustrating the work of his notable contemporaries, such as Inigo Jones. As the title of the work suggests, his aim was to link England's glorious present with the concerns of the exalted first century B.C.E. 'classical' architect, Vitruvius.
Campbell's desires are realized exceptionally well in these handsome engravings, illustrating the facades, plans, and gardens of many of the most wonderful great houses and public buildings in Britain. As some of these designs were projected and never built, the prints also exist as our only surviving evidence of this important architectural past.
Giovanni Battista Piranesi. "Avanzi della Villa di Mecenate a Tivoli." Exterior view of the Villa di Mecenate at Tivoli. [The so-called villa of Mæcenas, Tivoli.] From Vedute di Roma. First Paris Edition, 1800-7. 17 3/4 x 26 1/4. Etching. Hind 65, State I. Signed in plate, lower left in scroll: Piranesi sc. On laid paper, no watermark. Vertical crease at center. Wide margins. $1,400
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Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-78) is renowned for his splendid views of ancient and modern Rome. In a lifetime dedicated to recording these magnificent buildings and mysterious ruins, he created a prodigious oeuvre of dramatic and moving images. The large scale Vedute di Roma is one of the best known and extensive series and the one that established Piranesi's reputation. Where much of his earlier work, namely the Grotteschi and the Carceri, was more fantastic in subject matter, these views were meant to be careful delineations of principal sites. As such, they became very sought after souvenirs for tourists in Rome. As examples of Piranesi's artistic prowess they are powerful renderings of great architectural and sculptural monuments. Piranesi's Roman views are unmistakable and unrivaled architectural prints.
Luigi Rossini. "Veduta interna delle Sostruzioni dei Portici del Tempio d'Ercole in Tivoli . . ." From Rossini's Le Antichita Romane ossia delle piu Interessanti Vedute di Roma antica. Rome, 1825. 17 x 21(image) plus margins. Etching. Very good condition. $900
Italian architects and art historians continued to study Roman ruins well into the nineteenth century. This print was made for inclusion in Rossini's Le Antichita Romane ossia delle piu Interessanti Vedute di Roma antica which was a lovely series of engraved views.
George Morland. "The Last Litter." London: H. Macklin, 1803. 17 7/8 x 23 5/8. Mezzotint by W. Ward. Excellent condition. $950
George Morland (1763-1804) was a well known painter of rustic genre and narrative subjects. His appeal to his English contemporaries resided in the accessible content and the sensitivity to decorative detail in his often very picturesque works. Morland's paintings were a popular source for prints by his fellow artists, such as in this case William Ward. Ward (1766 - 1826) is regarded as one of the greatest mezzotint engravers of the early nineteenth century, and much of this reputation comes from his work after paintings by Morland, his brother-in-law. Ward went on to become the engraver to King William IV and his excellence in mezzotinting is well demonstrated in this lovely genre print after Morland. This is English printmaking at its best and most sophisticated.
"Hon. Schuyler Colfax, The Nation's Choice for Vice President of the U.S." New York: Currier & Ives, ca. 1869. Small folio. 10 1/4 x 8 5/8. Lithograph. Uncolored. Faint tide marks; one tiny spot. Else, very good condition. $175
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March 2, 2021
Basil Besler. Pl. 222. [White & rose-colored double flowered hollyhocks] From Hortus Eystettensis. Eicstatt, [1613]. Folio. Ca. 19 x 15 1/2 (plate mark). Engraving with expert hand coloring. Minor spot. Very good condition. $3,800
One of a group of superbly decorative and very early botanical prints. Basil Besler (1561-1629) was a Nuremberg apothecary who had as his patron the Prince Bishop of Eicstatt (near Nuremberg). While in charge of the bishop's elaborate gardens, Besler, with the financial support of his patron, undertook his great project of botanical illustration. Off and on for sixteen years he created drawings which, with the help of six skilled engravers, were turned into two large folio volumes of 374 plates, illustrating more than one thousand flowers. The prints were arranged by seasons, with the plants shown whole and life size. Besler's monumental florilegium invites the use of superlatives when describing it. It was the most comprehensive as well as the largest early work of its kind. It is also one of the most delightfully drawn and visually impressive ever made. Each plate is wonderfully designed with the rhythmic pattern of the roots and stems, as well as the calligraphic invention of the lettering fully developed. These are truly joyous prints from one of the most outstanding works of botanical illustration of all time. $3,800
Luca Giordano. [Susanna and the Elders] From Recueil d'éstampes d'après les plus célèbres tableaux de la Galérie Royale de Dresde, volume II. Paris: c. 1757. 17 1/4 x 14 5/8. Charles François Hutin intermediary draftsman; engraving and etching by Jacques François Beauvarlet. Clean with wide margins; Very good condition. Ferrari & Scavizzi. Luca Giordano, l'Opera Completa, 1992, No. A281.
A beautiful rendering of the grand painting by Giordano from the Royal Gallery in Dresden, depicting the Old Testament story from the Book of Daniel, Susanna and the Elders. Susanna was spied upon while bathing, and then accused of adultery with a young man when she refused to have sex with them. $750
Emanuel Bowen. "A New and Accurate Chart of the vast Atlantic or Western Ocean, including the Sea Coast of Europe and Africa on the East and the opposite Coast of the Continent of America and the West Indies Islands on the West extending from the Equator to 59 Degrees North Latitude." Line engraving. London: Mount & Page, 1778. 23 1/4 x 30 1/2 (neatlines) plus complete margins. National Maritime Museum Catalogue of the Library, p. 490. Excellent.
For over a hundred years the atlas known as The English Pilot continued to be published amid complaints from seamen that it was out of date. Changes were slow to appear even as Mount & Page took over from John Seller who had started it in 1671. Despite complaints, the charts continued to sell because they were inexpensive, and captains of small packets or other trading vessels could not afford better. This chart of the entire Atlantic Ocean exhibits the primitive look of the old English Pilot format, but it contains the improvements introduced by Edmund Halley earlier in the eighteenth century. Emanuel Bowen prepared this chart for Mount & Page, and it is first found in an atlas of 1778, probably to meet the demands of cross ocean travel during the American Revolution. Known as The Fourth Book, the American edition went through fourteen editions between 1689 and 1789, so this is one of the later maps. Comparing it to works by William Faden, Sayer & Bennett, or J.F.W. DesBarres would illustrate why not many were produced, fewer were sold, and many would have been lost with the poorer ships that carried them. Still, this is a dramatic sea chart with its strong rhumb lines and profuse coastal information. This is the tool that would have guided ships with slaves from Africa, food stuffs from the Mediterranean, and hardware from western Europe. A scarce and wonderful index map to a major atlas. $1,500
"Chart of the Sandwich Isles." [with inset map of "Sketch of Karakakooa Bay."] Dublin: The United Company of Booksellers, 1784. 10 3/4 x 17 3/4 (neat lines). Engraved by J. Butler. Laid paper. With center fold and guard end on verso and two vertical folds right and left hand side of map as originally issued. Faint center fold stain from binder's glue. Some scattered foxing. Else, very good condition.
One of the earliest prints maps of Hawaii from Captain James Cook's voyages to the Hawaiian islands in 1778. The inset map is of Karakakooa Bay, present Kealakekua Bay day where Cook died in 1779. The islands are named: Owyhee, Mowee, Morotoi, Ranai, Woahoo, Atooi and Oneeheow. The map was engraved by J. Butler for an Irish edition of Cook's third voyage to the Pacific. $650
Braddock Mead. [A Map of the most Inhabited part of New England,...]. [top two sheets only]. London: Thomas Jefferys, 1774. Engraving. Original hand and out line color. 20 1/2 x 38 1/4 (neat lines). Two of a total of four sheets joined. Right hand side of map faintly time toned. Else, very good condition. With inset at top left; "A Plan of the Town of Boston." Degrees of Latitude: 35; Stevens & Tree: 33(e).
The top half of a fascinating larger scale map of New England, whose copious and precise detail make it one of the finest map of the region ever issued. The map was drawn by Braddock Mead (aka John Green), an assistant to Thomas Jefferys, who through Jefferys had access to the latest general and specific maps available in London. Starting with the initial source of a 1753 map by William Douglas, and using quite a number of other sources as well, Braddock Mead produced a map that combined a wide scope with excellent topographical and political information. Such was its superiority and accuracy that it can be considered as the "Revolutionary War Map" of New England, used by both the British and the Americans during those hostilities, and it remained the prototype map of New England until the early nineteenth century.
Rivers, lakes, towns, townships, and roads are shown from the Gloucester, Massachusetts to present Kennebeck Bay, Maine. Of particular note is the indication of the dispute over the area that now constitutes Vermont, which was claimed by both New York and New Hampshire, a dispute that wasn't fully resolved until years later. $850
February 23, 2021
In 1826, Samuel C. Atkinson and Charles Alexander founded The Casket: Flowers of Literature, Wit and Sentiment. Though it had a fairly short run, the Casket was said to be the most widely circulated monthly in the United States. It included articles, stories, poetry, puzzles, and steel and wood engraved illustrations, many of which showed scenes of Philadelphia.
S. G. Sebry. "The Naval Battle of Santiago." Boston: James Drummond Ball, 1898. 22 x 42. Chromolithograph. Large margins. Five inch tear, expertly repaired, into image on right hand side. Otherwise, very good condition. With portraits of American and Spanish captains in the bottom margin. With a photocopy of original advertisement for the print.
When war was declared against Spain in 1898, Spain's Caribbean Squadron had taken refuge in the harbor of Santiago, Cuba. On July 3, the Spanish Squadron attempted to escape the harbor which was being blockaded by the American fleet commanded by Admiral Sampson. The Spanish fleet was no match for the Americans' five battleships and two armored cruisers. The campaign was a huge triumph for the modern United States Navy. This print, designed as a panorama to show the scope of the engagement, was issued not long after the battle. Names for both the American and Spanish ships are indicated. Below the image in the bottom margin are numerous oval portraits of the American and Spanish captains of the ships that took part in the battle. This print was originally issued in two editions. One, an Artist Proof which was offered on canvas and the other, a Regular Proof Edition. This print is the latter. A copy of the advertisement for the print accompanies this print. A dramatic and stirring view of the battle. $850
February 20, 2021
Luigi Mayer. "An Ancient Obelisk at Matarea, Formerly Heliopolis." From Views in Egypt, Palestine, and Other Parts of the Ottoman Empire. London: R. Bowyer, 1802-1805. 9 1/4 x 12 1/4 (neat line). Folio. Aquatint by T. Milton. Original hand coloring. Excellent condition. $300
From a group of finely crafted and informative views of the Middle East. The original drawings were done by Luigi Mayer for Sir Robert Ainslie, during his embassy to Constantinople, then the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Mayer traveled widely in the region, recording scenes in Palestine, Egypt, and present-day Turkey. He paid great attention to architecture, costume, and landscape. These details are lovingly captured by the engraver and colorist bringing out much of the feel of the earth tones and atmosphere of the region. The richness of the culture, both ancient and contemporary, is vividly and accurately illustrated, providing us with a privileged glimpse of the Middle East before the tremendous changes it was soon to undergo.
Carington Bowles after George Heap. "An East Perspective View of the City of Philadelphia, in the Province of Pensylvania, in North America, taken from the Jersey Shore." London: Bowles & Carver, [1778]-ca. 1794. Second State. 9 1/2 x 16 1/8. Engraving. Full original hand coloring. Very good condition. Deak: 101; Snyder 6: 100B.
This is considered the finest and most decorative of the reissues of Heap's "East Prospect" of Philadelphia, and this ambitious and delicate eighteenth-century print is one of the most desirable early profiles of the city. This view shows the city as a bustling river port of some importance and sophistication. A mile of the Philadelphia waterfront, from present-day South Street to Vine Street, is depicted in considerable detail. In the foreground lies Windmill Island, and the river is congested with vessels of all types.
The creator of this print was London print maker, Carington Bowles. This was one of the vue d'optique or perspective views showing the cities of the world, prints that were very popular in the late eighteenth century. These prints were produced for a viewing machine. The hand color, necessitated by the optical show, is also noteworthy, the tones being more vivid and brilliant than on other, similar views of the period. The first issue of the engraving bore the date "1 Jany 1778" on the plate. In about 1794 Carington Bowles was succeeded by Bowles & Carver, and the new publisher's name appeared on the plate. But no change was made in the engraved picture itself. $9,500
Thomas Birch. "Philadelphia. From Kensington." Philadelphia: C.G. Childs, 1828. Octavo. 3 5/8 x 5 7/8. Engraving by J. Cone. Very good condition. $225
Thomas Birch is well remembered both for his work with his father, William, on the series of views of Philadelphia and independently, for his achievements as a painter and engraver. Cephas Greer Childs was a printmaker and publisher who was well acquainted with the Philadelphia area. This print is based on Birch's famous depiction of Philadelphia from Kensington, and it exhibits the quality for which Childs' prints are known. The perspective and the bustling activity of the harbor beautifully evoke the spirit of early nineteenth century Philadelphia.
Thomas Doughty. "Fairmount Water Works from the West Bank of the Schuylkill." Philadelphia: C.G. Childs, 1828. Octavo. 3 1/2 x 5 (image). Engraving by J. Cone. Very good condition. $175
Almost three decades after the publication of the first edition of William Birch's City of Philadelphia, Cephas Childs published the second comprehensive series of prints of the city, entitled Views of Philadelphia. Childs, a native of Bucks County, was one of the most prominent American printmakers of his day. He was an expert engraver and publisher, and he later went on to run an important early lithographic firm. The detail and composition of these engravings is excellent, and they provide an fascinating overall view of the city with its new look. See: Snyder, Mirror of America, pp. 70-77.
J.C. Wild. "U. S. Naval Asylum." [Grays Ferry Avenue] From Views of Philadelphia and its Vicinity. Philadelphia: J.C. Wild & J.B. Chevalier, 1838. 5 x 7. Quarto. Lithograph by J.C. Wild. Printed by J. Collins on chine-appliqué. New hand color. Minor spotting in margins. $225
Wild was a Swiss artist who studied in Paris, and then came to Philadelphia around 1832. Soon after he moved to Cincinnati and then back to Philadelphia in 1837. At that time he formed a partnership with J.B. Chevalier to publish a series of small lithographs illustrating the city of Philadelphia. The intent was to sell the prints inexpensively, at a rate of 25 cents for two images, and this was done in part in conjunction with the Saturday Courier, which used the prints in its promotions. The prints were all issued in 1838, and when completed they were sold in a bound volume. The complete work consisted of twenty lovely scenes of Philadelphia and four additional larger prints that show the views from Independence Hall tower in the four cardinal directions. The project was not, however, a success for Wild, and in that year he left Philadelphia to move to the midwest. Though he stayed only a short time in the city, Wild's twenty-seven views of Philadelphia are amongst the most notable of the nineteenth century.
O.W. Gray. "Outline Map of the County and City of Philadelphia and Vicinity." Philadelphia: O.W. Gray, 1872. 14 1/4 x 11 1/4 (neat lines). Lithograph. Original hand color. Chip in margin at top and narrow left hand margin. Else, very good condition. $125
The index page from the O.W. Gray Topographical Atlas of the State of Pennsylvania.
"Philadelphia." Philadelphia: G. M. Hopkins, 1877. From Atlas of Philadelphia and Environs. 16 1/2 x 13 1/4 (image). Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. $325
"2nd to 18th Inclusive & 29th & 30th Wards." [Center City, Philadelphia]. Philadelphia: G. M. Hopkins, 1877. From Atlas of Philadelphia and Environs. 13 1/2 x 15 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. $325
February 19, 2021
Emanuel Bowen. "An Accurate Map of the County of Derby...." London: R. Sayer, and J. & C. Bowles, 1765. Dissected into 16 sections, mounted on linen and folded into original paper covers. 27 1/4 x 21 1/8. Engraving by E. Bowen. Original outline color. Very good condition.
A large, highly detailed and unusual folding map of Derbyshire. This map is by Emanuel Bowen, one of the best known cartographers of the eighteenth century. Bowen, together with the equally famous Thomas Kitchin, began to publish a series of large county maps in 1749, culminating in their Large English Atlas, which was issued in on-going editions from 1750 to 1794. These maps are very popular both for their large size and for the wealth of information included on their printed surface. This map of Derbyshire is typical of their detailed maps, with hills, roads, towns, villages, cities, country estates, churches, and much else is clearly presented. The hundreds are outlined in contrasting colors and there are a number of paragraphs dotted about the map describing major towns, a list of the seats of the local nobility, and text about the wonders of the county. An elaborate rococo title cartouche graces the bottom left corner, and a smaller dedication cartouche is in the lower right.
What makes this map unusual is that it is a separately issued, folding map. The map, which also appeared in the Large English Atlas, was cut into 16 sections, which were mounted on linen so that they folded into a small, ca. 6 1/2 x 5 1/2, size, which then was inserted into a paper envelope. Maps such as this would be easier to handle, store, and perhaps use when one was travelling. Maps such as this, however, are also scarcer as they have a much lower survival rate than atlas maps. This is a most impressive and unusual map of Derbyshire. $450
James Gilbert. "Gilbert's New Map of England & Wales, drawn from the best authorities." London: Collins, 1849. Separately issued, folding map: dissected into 24 sections and mounted on linen. 32 x 25 3/4. Steel engraving. Original hand color. Slightly browned, but very good condition. Folding into original cloth case. Case rubbed.
A very detailed transportation map of England as the Industrial Revolution went into high gear. Roads, railroads, and steamship lines are shown in abundance. An unusual feature is a "Comparative Chart of the Navigation of the Principal Rivers" which shows the length to which one can pilot a boat. $375
Henry Tunison. "Tunison's Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and District of Columbia." From Peerless Universal Atlas. Jacksonville, Illinois: H.C. Tunison, ca. 1885. Wax engraving. Original color. 9 3/4 x 12. Very good condition.
A handsome map from Tunison's Peerless Universal Atlas. With the development of wax engraving (cerography), more maps and atlases were, for the first time, easily produced in cities beyond the major printing centers of New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. Henry C. Tunison issued a series of fine atlases beginning in 1885 and lasting into the beginning of the twentieth century. This is a nice example of his output. Small towns are scrupulously noted, as is the population of each state. $75
"Imperial Botany _ or a Peep at Josephine's collection of English Exoticks. Vide the Champion Jany 30, 1814." London: W.N.Jones, 1 March 1814. 7 5/8 x 20 3/8. With borders, but trimmed within platemarks. Etching. Vivid and attractive hand color. Folds as issued, scarcely visible on image. Otherwise very good condition.
After her divorce from Napoleon Bonaparte, Josephine retained her garden at Malmaison. In this caricature she is depicted as a stout woman showing her plants to the Marchioness of Hertford, who had been separated from the Prince Regent. She points to the Prince's image within a sunflower as the two women discuss gardening in terms alluding to their former lovers. The conceit of the caricature is apt: in reality, these two women had exchanged plants, seeds, and gardening advice during the Napoleonic was, and Josephine had even received acorns from the great English oaks so that timbers could be acquired for the future French navy. Throughout this very complex composition are people, plants, and images that allude to current events. A complete description from Dorothy George's Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires will be provided upon request. $1,200
"Wm. Penns Treaty with the Indians when he Founded the Province of Pennsa. 1661." New York: J. Baillie, ca. 1850. 8 5/8 x 12 1/4. Losses in margins, expertly conserved and lined. $425
February 17, 2021
Unattributed. "Willm. Penn." From James Hardie's The New Universal Biographical Dictionary . . . New York: 1801-1805. Stipple engraving. 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 (platemarks) plus full margins. Minor stain in title with one in right hand margin outside plate mark. Strong strike. $150
Unattributed. "John Adams." From James Hardie's The New Universal Biographical Dictionary . . . New York: New York: 1801-1805. Stipple engraving by Scoles. 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 (platemarks) plus full margins. Repaired tear right hand side just into image. Soiling bottom right hand side not affecting image. Strong strike. $225
Unattributed. "S. Adams, Esq., Governor of Massachusetts. 1795." From James Hardie's The New Universal Biographical Dictionary . . . New York: 1801-1805. Mezzotint. 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 (platemarks) plus full margins. Minor soiling botton right corner. Strong strike. $125
Unattributed life portrait. "Thos. Jefferson. President of the United States." From James Hardie's The New Universal Biographical Dictionary . . . New York: 1801-1805. Stipple engraving. 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 (platemarks) plus full margins. Minor stain in title with one in right hand margin outside plate mark. Strong strike. $350
J. Wright. "G. Washington." From James Hardie's The New Universal Biographical Dictionary . . . New York: New York: 1801-1805. Stipple engraving by J. Collyer. 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 (platemarks) plus full margins. Soiling bottom right hand side not affecting image. Strong strike. $275
Unattributed. "Gen. Wayne." From James Hardie's The New Universal Biographical Dictionary . . . New York: 1801-1805. Stipple engraving. 5 1/2 x 3 3/4 (platemarks) plus full margins. Minor stain in title with one in right hand margin outside plate mark. Strong strike. $125
Two large and dramatic religious prints by the well known American artist John Singleton Copley (1738-1815). Copley, a Boston native, flourished as a portrait artist in the colonies before he settled in London in 1775 and focused on the painting of portraits, historical and religious scenes. Copley was a master at painting dramatic multi-figure compositions.
The output of James Ward contains some of the finest British prints from around the turn of the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries. James was himself an excellent mezzontinter having studied under John Raphel Smith. The warmth of image, richness of the color and quality of mezzotinting combine to make this rare print a gem of its era. $900
S.J.E. Jones. "Horses Going to a Fair." Aquatint by W. Fellows. 14 x 17 1/2 (image) plus margins. Probably London, England, circa 1825. Fine condition.
Jones exhibited at the Royal Academy in London from 1820 to about 1845. He humorously placed his own name as the proprietor of the roadside inn and perhaps provided a self-portrait with inclusion of the inn keeper providing a drink to the horseman. The printmaker, Fellows, is listed by Ian Mackenzie in his British Prints as working from late eighteenth century to early nineteenth century. A lovely, early depiction of horses with gentlemanly costume and architecture of the period. $400
James Berenger. (1780-1931). "The Earl of Derby's Stag Hounds." Carshalton, Surrey: I. Griffin, May 15, 1823. Late 19th or early 20th century re-strike. Engraved by R. Woodman. Full hand color. Light mat-burn in margins not affecting image. Else, very good condition.
A wonderful and animated fox hunting print. Below the image the riders are identified. From left to right is Edward, Lord Stanley, Honourable Edward Stanley, Jonathan Griffin and the first whipper in. An excellent example of 19th century British sporting art. $750
Stuart Sindici. "Going to the Meet." London: F.C.M. Queen & Sons, 1893. 20th Century restrike. 17 1/2 x 12 1/2. Aquatint. Full hand color. Full margins. Very good condition. $175
S. Augustus Mitchell. "Mitchell's National Map of the American Republic or United States of North America." Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, 1843, copyright 1842. First edition. Separately issued wall map. 24 1/2 x 33 3/4. Drawn by J.H. Young. Engraving by J.H. Brightly. Full original hand color. Together with "Maps of the Vicinities of Thirty-Two of the Principal Cities and Towns in the Union." Expertly conserved and mounted on new linen. Excellent condition.
A dramatic, separately-issued wall map of the United States issued by important Philadelphia publisher S. Augustus Mitchell. Mitchell had begun to produce wall maps about a decade earlier, and this was the first edition of a regularly updated series of "National Maps" which appeared every year from 1843 to 1850 (except for 1849). As intended for practical use, this map has a particularly strong appearance and very clear depictions of towns and roads between them, each labeled with a distance on it. The insets of the thirty-two cities surround the map. Included are insets of northern Maine and the southern tip of Florida. In the lower right corner is a table with the populations of each county within the United States. This striking and highly detailed map shows the U.S. extending from the Atlantic to just beyond the Mississippi River, with the states of Louisiana and Missouri, and the territories of Arkansas and the recently created Iowa, much larger than it would become as a state. To the west of those lies a very large Indian Territory, as all that land (then thought to be useless to white Americans) had been set aside as a convenient place to send the eastern tribes. For much of the rest of the nineteenth century, of course, these Indian lands were taken away until only what later became Oklahoma remained. $3,250
Unattributed. "Map of the Southern States." From Harper's Weekly. New York: November 1861. 20 x 29 3/4 (neat lines plus margins). Wood engraving. Original hand color. With folds as issued. Repaired tears and reinforcement along vertical fold with archival tape. Slight browning alone vertical center fold. Else, very good condition of a map that is usually found tattered at the edges from folding out of the periodical. Stephenson, Civil War Maps, 14.55.
Harper's Weekly was an illustrated newspaper issued in New York, beginning just before the Civil War and continuing for most of the nineteenth century. Its mission was best described by its subtitle, "A Journal of Civilization." The newspaper had copious articles, but it communicated much of its message through excellent and topical pictures which were drawn by its many staff artists. These pictures were of current events, and it was this paper which supplied the American public with most of the contemporary images of the Civil War. Besides the scenes of soldiers and battlefields, Harper's included a number of maps. This map depicted the entire region of the south and border states and it was intended as the general map which readers could use to follow events. $650
David H. Burr. "North and South Carolina." New York: Illman & Pilbrow, 1836. From A New Universal Atlas (1835). 10 1/2 x 12 5/8. Engraving by W.F.H. Jr. Full original color. Very good condition.
An excellent map of the Carolinas by David H. Burr, one of the most important American cartographers of the first part of the nineteenth century. Having studied under Simeon DeWitt, Burr produced the second state atlas issued in the United States, of New York in 1829. He was then appointed to be geographer for the U.S. Post Office and later geographer to the House of Representatives. The map shows each county with a different color and towns and cities are noted throughout. With his access to information from the Post Office, Burr's depiction of the road system is accurate and up-to-date. Burr's maps are scarce and quite desirable. $250
Anthony Finley. "North Carolina." Philadelphia: A. Finley, 1825. From A New General Atlas. 11 1/4 x 8 1/2. Engraving by Young & Delleker. Original hand coloring. Very good condition.
In the 1820s, Anthony Finley produced a series of fine atlases in the then leading American cartographic center, Philadelphia. Finley's work is a good example of the quality that American publishers were beginning to obtain in the early decades of the century. He was very concerned to depict as up-to-date information as was possible, and thus his map presents an accurate picture of North Carolina in the 1820s. This map is elegantly presented, with crisp and clear engraving and very attractive pastel hand shading. Towns, rivers, and political divisions are indicated, and the bright color makes this map as attractive as it is informative. $225
John Hinton. "Map of the States of North and South Carolina." From The History and Topography of the United States of America. London: I.T. Hinton & Simpkin & Marshall, [1830]-1832. 9 3/4 x 15 5/8 (neat lines). Steel engraving by Fenner Sears & Co. Full hand color. With inset map of Charleston. Very good condition.
A lovely example of a steel engraving from one of the more popular nineteenth century view and map books, Hinton's History and Topography. This work contained text and numerous illustrations documenting the history and topography of the United States. Hinton used many different artists, all the engravings being made from drawings made on the spot. For their wide coverage, accurate detail, and pleasing appearance, these are amongst the finest small images of early nineteenth century America to be found anywhere. The London edition was the only one with maps of the regions throughout the United States. $250
February 16, 2021
William Guthrie. "An Accurate Map of Europe, from the best Authorities." From Guthrie's New System of Geography. London: Dilly & Robinson, ca. 1785. 13 1/2 x 14 1/2. Engraving. Original outline color. Very good condition.
A nicely rendered map of Canada from William Guthrie's famous geography. William Guthrie (1708-1770) was a historian who came out in 1769 with a General View of Geography. This work proved very popular and he soon revised the work, adding maps. "Guthrie's Geography" went through many different editions, well past his death, with editions to as late as 1842. Later editions were regularly updated and expanded, with new discoveries and maps added. $200
David H. Burr. "Europe." From A New Universal Atlas (1835). New York: David H. Burr, 1834. 12 1/2 x 10 1/4. Engraving. Full original color. Chips and discoloring in upper corners of margin. Else, very good condition.
An excellent map of Europe by David H. Burr, one of the most important American cartographers of the first part of the nineteenth century. Having studied under Simeon DeWitt, Burr produced the second state atlas issued in the United States, of New York in 1829. He was then appointed to be geographer for the U.S. Post Office and later geographer to the House of Representatives. A careful geographer, Burr's maps are scarce and quite desirable. $85
Henry Tanner. "Europe." From Universal Atlas. Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1843. 11 1/4 x 14 1/4. Engraving by E.B. Dawson. Original hand color. Very good condition.
A map of Europe by the great American cartographer, Henry Schenck Tanner. Beginning at the end of the second decade of the nineteenth century, Tanner, produced his important American Atlas, the finest American produced atlas to the time. The American Atlas was a huge success and this inspired Tanner, in 1834, to produce his Universal Atlas, of more manageable size. All details are clearly presented and these include towns, rivers mountains, political boundaries and some transportation information. In 1844 Carey & Hart issued an updated edition of the Tanner atlas. These maps were later purchased by S. Augustus Mitchell, and then Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., but maps from the early Carey & Hart edition are quite rare. This is a typical example of the maps from that atlas, with excellent and current information. $110
Henry S. Tanner. "Europe." Philadelphia: S.A. Mitchell Sr., 1846. 12 x 15 1/8. Lithographic transfer from copper engraving. Original hand color. Very good condition.
A crisp, detailed map of Europe by the great American cartographer, Henry Schenck Tanner and published by Samuel Augustus Mitchell Sr., one the leading cartographic publishers of the period. Beginning in 1819, Tanner published his American Atlas, which was a huge success. This inspired Tanner to produce his Universal Atlas, of more manageable size, which contained fine maps of each state and a number of cities. These maps were purchased by S. Augustus Mitchell and reissued in his editions of Tanner's atlas. Mitchell was born in Connecticut where he engaged in teaching. Upon the discovery that geography texts were inadequate, he wrote his own and in 1829-30 moved to Philadelphia, then the leading publishing center in the United States. He acquired the stock and plates of Anthony Finley's publishing company and improved on those copper plate maps. In 1846, with the issuing of his New Universal Atlas, Mitchell began using the new technique of stone lithography. $85
A.K. Johnston, F.R.S.E. "The Mountain Systems of Europe Costructed on the basis of Contour Lines." Edinburgh: W. & A.K. Johnston, 1854. 18 1/2 x 25 1/2. Color lithograph. Wear along folds; paper toned; scattered light stains. Else, good condition.
An interesting map of the continent. Topographical detail is extensive and clear. $175
S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr. "Map of Europe showing its Gt. Political Divisions." Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr. 1860. 10 5/8 x 13 1/4. Lithograph. Original hand coloring. Full margins. Decorative border. Very good condition.
For most of the middle part of the nineteenth century, the firm founded by S. Augustus Mitchell dominated American cartography in output and influence. This fine map is from one of his son's atlases. The map depicts and names streets, rail lines, and major buildings. Each ward is colored in a contrasting pastel shade. This map was republished in several editions and it provided more readers with information about Philadelphia than any other map of the period. A fine decorative border surrounds the map, and the whole effect makes for an attractive mid-nineteenth century map. $45
"Blowing up of the Fire Ship Intrepid commanded by Capt. Somers in the Harbour of Tripoli on the Night of the 4th. Sept. 1804." From The Port Folio. December 1810. Line engraving. 9 3/4 x 14. With folds as issued. Expertly repaired two inch tear into image. Backed with archival tissue. Else good condition. Ref.: E. Newbold Smith, American Naval Broadsides: 43, pl. 29 and Irving Olds, Bits and Pieces: 112.
The first Barbary War (1801-1805) was a result of President Jefferson's refusal to pay an increased tribute to Tripoli (now Libya) one of the Barbary States of North Africa along with of Algiers, Tunis and Morocco. These piratical states had been extracting tribute from the European powers since the eighteenth century, in order to ensure the safety of their vessels sailing in the Mediterranean. When the United States became independent, it was deemed prudent to take up this practice, and so the Americans began paying their own tribute in 1784. In 1801, the pasha of Tripoli demanded an increased tribute, to $225,000, from the new President. This Jefferson, who had long argued against the tribute, refused, and the pasha declared war on the United States on May 14, 1801.
The United States sent navy ships to blockade the Barbary ports and they had some success, though in 1803 the frigate USS Philadelphia ran aground in Tripoli Harbor and was captured. In February 1804, Lt. Stephen Decatur, Jr., led a small group into the harbor aboard a disguised USS Intrepid, and they managed to destroy the Philadelphia to prevent its use by their enemies. Later that year in the Americans tried to send the Intrepid, under Commandant Richard Somers, into the harbor again, this time as a fire ship to burn the enemy fleet. According to this print the ship were boarded by an overwhelming number of enemies before their plan could be carried out. Rather than be captured, enslaved, and lose the ship, Somers ordered that the magazine be explored, which killed both the boarders and the entire American crew. It is not clear that events took place in this way, for the ship may have been hit by enemy fire or perhaps blown up accidentally, but this version made for a stirring story, which promoted patriotism and increased the reputation of the U.S. Navy. Despite this set back, the continued American blockade and an overland expedition against Tripoli, led to a peace treaty on June 4, 1805. $650
Charles Smith. "Smith's New Map of England and Wales with Part of Scotland." London: C. Smith, 1827. Separately issued, folding map: dissected into 42 sections and mounted onto linen. 44 3/4 x 27. Engraving. Original hand color. Some slight surface smudging. Very good condition. In original paper slip case with circular label. Some wear and separations at edges of case, but generally very good.
A very large and detailed transportation map by Charles Smith, "Engraver and Map Seller Extraordinary to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales." The focus of this map is best explained by the subtitle: "Including the Turnpike, and principal Cross Roads. the Course of the Rivers & Navigable Canals; The Cities, Market Towns, and most considerable Villages: pointing out the distances from London to every principal Town: likewise the distance from one Market Town to another." $525
Robert Seaton. "New Map of England & Wales." London: J. & C. Walker, c. 1830. Separately issued map: dissected into 40 sections and mounted on linen. 48 7/8 x 37 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Buckram end papers with buckram slipcase. Scattered light spots; else, very good condition. With stipple engraved and etched vignette portraits and views in margins.
An attractive, crisply detailed map of England Wales at the second quarter of the nineteenth century. Though the extensive railroad and postal road systems illustrate a forward-thinking economy, the portrait vignettes surrounding the map demonstrate a proud national heritage of artists, philosophers, scientists, and military leaders. On the eve of Queen Victoria's reign, Great Britain was a nation of growth, prosperity, and international stature. A growing empire abroad and an industrial revolution at home combined to produce a proud nation that would reach its zenith during the nineteenth century. As hydrographer to the king, Robert Seaton skillfully communicates his nation's status with this elegant and precise map. $575
"Bartholomew's Street Index Plan of London, North West Section, Showing the Postal Districts." Edinburgh: John Bartholomew & Son, Ltd., n.d. Folding map, 34 1/4 x 41 1/2.
This 20th century map of the northwest section of London, from Cleopatra's Needle west through Southall and north to Barnet and Oxhey, is on a scale of 3.4 inches to a mile, has half-mile sections delineated, and shows the postal areas as well.
Bartholomew's was begun by George B. Bartholomew (1784-1871) as an engraving firm. Five generations of the family operated the cartographic company, ending with John B. Bartholomew (1890-1960). The firm was acquired by Reader's Digest Publications in 1990. $45
Crawford C. Anderson. "The Pennsylvania Railroad and Connections." Buffalo: J.W. Clement Co., Matthews-Northrup Works, ca. 1941. 55 1/2 x 32. Cereograph. Full printed color. Full margins. Backed on fabric as issued with original rollers. Very good condition.
A bright railroad map showing the Pennsylvania Railroad System and its connections from Kansas City to Maine and as far south as Kentucky. Dated by internal evidence of rail lines. $475
Unattributed. "Front View of the President's House in the City of Washington." Title page from Charles William Janson's Stranger in America. London: James Cundee, 1807. 9 x 7 3/8 (sheet). Sepia aquatint. Quarter inch repaired tear right hand side and some minor scuffing not affecting image. Else, very good condition. Very rare. $525
Charles William Janson resided in the United States from 1793 to 1805. He travelled the United States and eventually issued in 1807 a petulant account of his years in America. This volume included nine aquatints depicting six scenes in Philadelphia, one of Mount Vernon and one in Boston. But most importantly this book contains the earliest known published image of the White House. A very scarce and important print.
Charles Bird King. "Ochio Finico-Charles Cornels." [Creek]. From McKenney & Hall History of the Native American Tribes of North America. Printed in Philadelphia, 1836-38. Publisher's remainders. Folio. 10 3/4 x 9 1/2 (image). 21 3/4 x 15 3/8 (paper). Lithograph. With original hand coloring on jacket and contemporary hand coloring on face. Excellent condition. $350
A print intended for McKenney & Hall's impressive portfolio of Native American portraits. Thomas McKenney, head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for many years, was a champion of the Native Americans and fought throughout his tenure to preserve something of their culture, so integral a part of the history of the United States. This print is one that remained since the nineteenth century in one of the publisher's warehouses, having been only partially colored and never issued. Thus their excellent condition is explained by their never having been subjected to the vicissitudes of the open market, and their chance survival for over a century and a half is most fortuitous.
February 11, 2021
"A New Map of England from the Latest Authorities." London: J. Cary, 1807. 18 1/4 x 20 1/2. Engraving. Full original hand color. Full margins. Expertly repaired tear at centerfold and into image. Otherwise, fine condition.
A very detailed map of England by John Cary (ca. 1754-1835), the founder of the famous English cartographic firm. Cities, rivers and lakes are graphically presented, and this together with the contrasting pastel shades of the counties gives the map a striking appearance. Roads are shown, and shipping distances are shown from many ports. Scales are given for British miles as well as Irish and Geographical miles. $175
Mathew Carey. "An Accurate Map of England and Wales with The Principal Roads from the best Authorities." Philadelphia: Carey, 1818. Folio. Engraving. Stain along centerfold from binding hinge. Spots in margins away from image. Else, very good condition. Wheat & Brun: 769.
The most influential name in American cartography at the end of the eighteenth century was Mathew Carey (1760-1839). Carey was the first major American publisher of maps and atlases, and his Atlas of 1795 is one of the landmarks of early American cartography because it contained some of the first printed maps of many states. The 1790s marked the beginning of the new republic under a new constitution, and patriotic sentiments filled the hearts and minds of men and their publications. In England, William Guthrie's geographies were disparaging to the former colonies, so Carey wrote new text and produced his own maps for an "improved" edition that merely recognized while not compensating Guthrie. As a youth Carey had been expelled from Ireland for printing seditious literature, so he escaped to Paris where he worked for Benjamin Franklin until the cessation of hostilities. He then went to Philadelphia, worked for Franklin briefly and later opened his own printing shop. Eventually Mathew Carey became one of the great citizens of Philadelphia and founder of the present-day firm of Lea & Febiger, which until recently was located on Washington Square. $150
"Environs of London." From Appleton's European Guide Book. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1881+. 10 x 13 1/4. Lithotint. With folds as issued. Very good condition. $90
John Thomson. "North Africa. South Africa." From A New General Atlas. Edinburgh: J. Thomson, 1815. 22 7/8 x 20 3/8. Engraving. Full original hand color. Full margins. Short repaired tears in left margin, not affecting image. Foxing throughout. Else, good condition.
A striking map of North and South Africa from an interesting period in the history of the continent. The map is divided into the two separate geographical areas known to Europeans, with towns carefully named and much attention given to geographical detail. The map is beautifully crafted, with precise engraving and neat hand coloring. The delicate coloring highlights the information given, making the map both easier to read and pleasing to look at. Altogether, a fine example of early 19th-century British cartography. $125
"South Africa Compiled from the M.S. Maps in the Colonial Office Captn. Owen's Survey ∓c." London: SDUK, 1834. 12 1/4 x 15 1/2. Engraving by J. & C. Walker. Original outline hand coloring. Full margins. A few scattered spots. Else, very good condition.
A detailed and cleanly drawn map of South Africa by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK). This wonderful English enterprise was devoted to the spreading of up-to-date information and the enhancing of understanding. This very informative map was published one year before the Great Trek, and it shows the political and topographical setting for this important event. Names of towns, rivers, mountains, plains, and information on native and animal populations are given throughout. Included are four inset maps of "Environs of the Cape," "District of George," "Environs of Graham-Town," and "Cape-Town." $300
J. Bartholomew, F.R.G.S. "South Africa." From Black's General Atlas of the World. Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1879. 16 1/2 x 22 1/8. Although the map states that it is "engraved and colored" by J[ohn] Bartholomew, it was lithographed in colors.
One of a series of precisely detailed maps of the world from one of the leading British mapmaking firms of the nineteenth century. Adam and Charles Black issued atlases from the 1840s through the 80s, keeping their maps as current as possible. This handsome map is a splendid example of their output. $165
February 10, 2021
Thomas Chippendale. From Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director . . . of Household Furniture in the Gothic, Chinese and Modern Taste. London: Thomas Chippendale, 1754. Approx. 17 1/2 x 11 (paper size). Engraving. Hand color. Very good condition.
These lovely prints are from one of the finest, and definitely most famous, furniture makers of the Eighteenth Century, Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779). Established in the Mid Eighteenth Century, Chippendale's furniture firm has become synonymous with the British Rococo. These particular prints are from the first edition of his celebrated pattern book, "The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker's Director." Published in 1754, it served as a trade catalogue and guide to clients. Containing 161 plates, it beautifully illustrates the different forms of English Rococo furniture; the French, the Gothic, and the Chinese. So successful was the publication that a nearly identical second edition was issued in 1755, and a third enlarged and revised edition appeared in 1762. This delicate and slightly whimsical style of furniture served as the transition from the heavier and regal, Baroque, to the restrained and elegant, Neo Classicism.
Giambattista Passeri. From Picturae Etruscorum in Vasculis. Rome, 1770. Engravings. ca 12 1/2 x 8. Very good condition.
Epitomizing eighteenth-century fascination with antiquities this print was taken from Giambattista Passeri's famed collection of antique Etruscan pottery. As Abbate of Pasero, he was one of the most well-known and enthusiastic collectors of ancient terra cotta. A prolific scholar, Passeri published a book of the designs found on the objects he purchased, and the result was an exceptionally striking group of prints showcasing classic themes of ancient Etruscan and Roman design.
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From Sir Samuel Rush Meyrick's A Critical Inquiry into Antient Armour. London: Henry G. Bohn, ca. 1830. ca. 10 x 8 (image vignette). Aquatints. Full original hand color. Full margins. Very good condition.
A splendidly colored series of prints showing ancient armour from the period of the Norman Conquest up to the reign of King Charles II. The emphasis is on British armour, and many different forms and styles are shown, each as worn by a historic personage. Meyrick (1783-1848) was interested in being historically accurate, and thus each drawing is rendered with careful precision, illustrating all aspects of the armour and weapons. Besides the concern for accuracy, the aesthetic aspects of the prints were also important, as is especially evident with the hand coloring, which is wonderfully done.
Andrew W. Melrose. "Mills and Dales of New England." Washington: A. Melrose, ca. 1885. 21 1/2 x 35 1/2. Chromolithograph by Raphael Tuck and Sons. Vibrant colors. Margins trimmed to image as issued. Small portion of lower right hand corner missing and in-painted. Minor chipping along edges as to be expected. Expertly conserved. Otherwise, very good condition.
Andrew Melrose (1836-1901) was an artist of American landscapes. He had studios in Hoboken and Guttenburg, New Jersey during the 1870s and 1880s. He is particularly known for his paintings of views from North Carolina to New England, though he also produced images of Ireland, the Tyrol and Cornwall, England. Melrose published a number of large chromolithographs after his paintings. Many artists tried selling these large and colorful prints to make extra money and to help establish their reputations. This is an excellent example of nineteenth century chromolithography used to reproduce American paintings. $1,200
Andrew W. Melrose. "Lake George." [Sabbath Day Point/Roger's Slide]. Washington: A. Melrose, ca. 1885. 21 1/2 x 35 1/2. Chromolithograph by Raphael Tuck and Sons. Margins trimmed to image as issued. Vibrant colors. Very good condition.
Andrew Melrose (1836-1901) was an artist of American landscapes. He had studios in Hoboken and Guttenburg, New Jersey during the 1870s and 1880s. He is particularly known for his paintings of views from North Carolina to New England, though he also produced images of Ireland, the Tyrol and Cornwall, England. This lovely and colorful Adirondack scene shows the area of Sabbath Day Point, near the present day town of Hague, New York. Melrose published a number of large chromolithographs after his paintings. Many artists tried selling these large and colorful prints to make extra money and to help establish their reputations. This is an excellent example of nineteenth century chromolithography used to reproduce American paintings. $1,400
Attractive prints from a series of enticing portrayals of twenties high fashion by renowned French designers. The colors are brilliant-either simulating or actual pochoir technique; the designs and settings stylish and sophisticated. These visually striking images and fine mementos of the elegant and extravagant Parisian world were on the cutting edge of the art deco tradition.
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February 5, 2021
After Benjamin West. "Nordamerikaner." From H.R. Schinz's Naturgeschichte und Abbildungen des Menschen. Zurich: Honeggerschen Lithographischen Anstalt, 1835. 8 x 9 (image). Lithograph by J. Honegger. Light scattered spotting left and right of image, Else, fine condition. Very good condition.
From 1824 until 1845, Swiss doctor and natural historian Heinrich Rudolf Schinz published various editions of his "Natural History. Schinz's work included illustrations of the different races and he took his images for Native Americans upon the work of various naturalists, such as John Webber (from Cook's expedition) and Karl Bodmer (from his travels with Prince Maximilian). For the northeastern woodland Indians, Schinz copied the figure that appears in the foreground of Benjamin West's "The Death of General Wolfe." This figure had become the archetypical image of the Native American in the early 19th century. $325
After John Webber. "Bewohner der Sandwichinseln in Königlicher Prachtkleidung." From H.R. Schinz's Naturgeschichte und Abbildungen des Menschen. Zurich: Honeggerschen Lithographischen Anstalt, 1836-45. Ca. 11 x 8. Lithograph by J. Honegger. Very good condition.
From 1824 until 1845, Swiss doctor and natural historian Heinrich Rudolf Schinz published various editions of his "Natural History." Included in this work was a consideration of the human species, which Schinz grouped into five "tribes" or races. Schinz's work included illustrations of the different races and he took his images for Native Americans upon the work of various naturalists. This print is after one of John Webber's (1751-1793) drawings who was the official artist on Cook's third voyage of discovery. This print depicts a King of the Hawaiian Islands. $175
"Golden Spangled Hamburghs." From The Illustrated Book of Poultry. London: Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, 1890. 8 x 6 3/4 (image). Quarto. Chromolithograph. Very good condition. $125
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"Silver Spangled Hamburghs." From The Illustrated Book of Poultry. London: Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, 1890. 7 3/4 x 6 3/4. Quarto. Chromolithograph. Very good condition. $125
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From a delightful series of 'portraits' of prize poultry and fowl. The last part of the nineteenth century was the time when wonderful chromolithographs were being produced in England and the United States, and these prints are excellent examples of the process. The award winning birds are appropriately displayed with their fine plumage and bright colors. They strut about proudly in equally cheerful farm-like settings. The combination of bold subjects, impressive demeanor, and vivid color make for a series of truly jovial prints.
"Thrice Champion." [H.L. Doherty.] Spy. From Vanity Fair. London: Vanity Fair, September 1, 1904. 13 1/8 x 7 5/8. Chromolithograph. Full margins. Very good condition. $450
We have a large selection of Vanity Fair prints. Please call or email for more information.
From January 30, 1869 until February 5, 1914, Vanity Fair, a weekly Society magazine of social, literary and political content, was published to the delight of Victorian and then Edwardian England. Most popular of its features were the wonderful full page caricatures of famous men and women of the day, prints that are Vanity Fair's great legacy. These were drawn by such popular artists as Spy (Leslie Ward) and Ape (Carlo Pellegrini), amongst others. With subjects ranging from the political to the religious, Americans to Asians, these prints remain one of the most popular of prints from that bygone era.
Norman Rockwell. (1894-1978). Ours to Fight for-Save Freedom of Speech. Buy War Bonds. Washington, DC: 1943. 40 x 28 1/2. Color photo-offset. OWI#44. [Citizen standing and speaking at a town meeting]. With folds as originally issued. A number of several repaired small separations along folds at corners along with some minor wear along folds in image. Minor staining along some fold marks in margins. Loss of small triangular piece of margin right hand side. Else, fine condition. $500
February 3, 2021
Pieter Bertius. "Picardia." From Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum. Amsterdam: Cornelis Claesz, 1606. Engraving by J. Hondius and Pieter van den Keere. Ca. 3 1/2 x 5. Latin text on verso.
A map from a wonderful set of early seventeenth century maps issued in a popular geography written by Pieter Bertius. These maps were engraved by the brother-in-laws, Jodocus Hondius and Pieter van den Keere. The maps have a charm which comes from their fine engraving and small size, and they present some of the most up-to-date information of areas around the world available at the time. $65
"A New Map of Pennsylvania with its Canals, Rail-roads . . ." Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1850. 11 3/4 x 14 1/4. Lithographic transfer from engraved plate. Full original color. Minor spotting in margins. Else, very good condition.
A strong and beautifully crafted map of Pennsylvania from the mid-nineteenth century, published by Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. This firm took over the publication of S. Augustus Mitchell's important Universal Atlas in 1850, and they continued to produce updated maps that were amongst the best issued in the period. $250
S. Augustus Mitchell Jr. "Plan of Philadelphia." Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell Jr. 1871. 11 x 12 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand coloring. Full margins. Decorative border.
For most of the middle part of the nineteenth century, the firm founded by S. Augustus Mitchell dominated American cartography in output and influence. This fine map is from one of his son's atlases. The map depicts and names streets, rail lines, and major buildings. Each ward is colored in a contrasting pastel shade. This map was republished in several editions and it provided more readers with information about Philadelphia than any other map of the period. A fine decorative border surrounds the map; an attractive mid-nineteenth century map. $300
"Hawaiian Group or Sandwich Islands. New Zealand. FeeJee Islands. Society Islands. Marquesas island. Calapacos Islands." New York: J.H. Colton, 1856. 14 1/2 x 11 3/4. Lithograph. With decorative border. Scattered spotting in map with faint water stain upper left hand corner. Paper some what time-toned. Else, fine condition. $185
"Hawaiian Group or Sandwich Islands. New Zealand. FeeJee Islands. Society Islands. Marquesas island. Calapacos Islands." New York: J.H. Colton, 1857. 14 1/2 x 11 3/4. Lithograph. Paper somewhat time-toned. Else, very good condition. {Same map as above, but without decorative border}. $185
"Hawaii." Chicago: Rand-McNally, 1895. 9 1/2 x 121 3/8. Cerograph. With inset map of Honolulu and western Islands of Niihau and Kauai. Repaired tear just into image. Very good condition. $125
"Hawaii." Chicago: Rand-McNally, 1905. From Atlas of the World. 9 1/2 x 12 3/8. Cerograph. With inset map of Honolulu and inset map of western Islands of Niihau and Kauai. Very good condition. $125
"Hawaii. Districts, Capes, Points, Islands, Mountains, Towns and Principal Points." Chicago: Rand-McNally, ca. 1920. From Commercial Atlas of the World. 9 3/8x 12 3/8. Cerograph. With inset map of western Islands of Niihau and Kauai,key to Hawaii railroads and inter-island steamship routes. Upper right corner margin chipped. Not affecting image. Very good condition. $125
"Territory of Hawaii." Chicago: George Cram, 1928. 9 1/4 x 13 7/8. Cerograph. With inset map of Honolulu and Midway Island. Small repaired tear just into map right hand side. Else, very good condition. $125
Samuel R. Steward and John H. Wright. "Fish and Game Habits. Showing the general distribution of fish and Game - native, introduced and migratory in state of New Jersey." Trenton: Fish and Game Commission, ca. 1940. 38 x 21 1/4. Color printed lithograph. With folds as originally issued. Very good condition.
A wonderful pictorial map depicting all the various animals and fish of the state of New Jersey. The key in the upper left hand corner shows varies ecosystems and also symbols for the particular fish and game found in the state. On the verso is a copious amount of information on the Fish and Game Commission. $275
"Daybreak." New York: House of Art, 1923. 17 1/2 x 29 1/2 (sight). Art print (color lithograph) mounted on board as issued, in original period frame. With original publisher label. Series of small vertical spots in middle and right hand side of image. Else, very good condition. Parrish/Ludwig No. 682. Ref: Coy Ludwig, Maxfield Parrish, 1973. $850
Parrish called this work "the great picture." Indeed, the print became wildly popular and became the "the decorating sensation of the decade." Three sizes of the print were originally issued: 6 x 10; 10 x 18 and 18 x 30, of which this example is the largest.
Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), was born in Philadelphia and educated at Haverford College and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His work is characterized by luminous color (in particular the famous Parrish blue), dramatically heightened landscapes, and attractively androgynous and/or humorous human figures.
Prints from Albertus Seba's Locupletissimi Rerum Naturalium Thesauri. Amsterdam: J. Wetstenium & Gul. Smith & Janssonio-Waesbergios, 1735. Engravings. Double folio prints: ca. 16 x 21. Folio prints: ca. 16 x 10 1/2. Lovely hand color. Excellent condition.
A series of stunning folio and double folio natural history prints from the early eighteenth century. These prints, made using copper engraving and then hand colored, are the most dramatic natural history prints issued in the eighteenth century. Showing shells, snakes and other subjects, these prints were produced with as much concern for their aesthetic appearance as for their scientific accuracy. Like many others in this field, Seba was a collector of curiosities and these magnificent prints illustrate items from his collection.
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January 29, 2021
After Robert Dodd. "The Pearl Captn Montague taking the L'Esperance . . .October 1, 1780." London: John Harris, August 29th, 1782. [restrike 19th century]. 11 3/4 x 17 (image only). Engraving by Peltro. Appears to have been re-engraved 19th century. Partial hand color. Mat burn and time toning in margins outside plate mark, not affecting image. Else, very good condition. With decorative French mat.
This print depicts the naval action between the British ship Pearl and the French privateer L'Esperance off Bermuda on 1 October 1780. The L'Esperance, on the right of the image, appears to have sustained more damage. Her topsail and yard are gone, as is her entire mizenmast. Another small two-masted vessel can be seen in the distance.
This print is a restrike from the original plate. Not only is some of the lettering in the description of the print under the title faint in areas, the image itself appears to have been re-engraved. Otherwise, an excellent example of British naval prints of this period. $350
Nicholas Pocock. "To Captain Sir H.B. Neale Bart, of His Majesty's Ship St Fiorenzo the Honble Captain Herbert of the Amelia... This Print representing their Engagement with Three French Frigates & a Gun Vessel aided by a Battery on the Shore, close in with Belleisle April 9th 1799." London: N. Pocock, February 12th, 1801. 16 1/4 x 23 5/8 (image). Aquatint by Robert Pollard. Original hand color. Two old tape stains in top margin not affecting image. Else, very good condition. With decorative French mat.
A view of the action between the British ships St Fiorenzo and Amelia and three French frigates and a gun vessel off Belle Île, April 9th, 1799 during the French Revolutionary Wars (1792-1802). On April 9th, 1799, two English ships the HMS St Fiorenzo and HMS Amelia sailed towards Belle Île, an island off the French coast of Brittany. The British vessels encountered the three French frigates. After a nearly two hour engagement, including the French shore batteries, the French broke away to take refuge in French ports.
The artist of this print, Nicholas Pocock (1740-1821), was one of the outstanding marine artists of his day and also made an important contribution to the recording of British naval battles of the early 19th century. The way in which he depicted his subjects reflects his knowledge of how these ships operated at sea. An excellent example of English naval prints of this period. $1,100
After Nicholas Pocock (1740-1821). "To the memory of Captain George Nicholas Hardinge... Actions... with La Piémontaise French Frigate, near the Island of Ceylon, 8 March 1808..." London: N. Pocock, September, 1809. 16 1/4 x 23 3/8 (image). Aquatint. Original hand color. Old mounting glue stain in top margin not affecting image. Else, very good condition. With decorative French mat.
A large and wonderfully detailed naval print showing the conclusion of the battle between the English frigate San Fiorenzo and the French frigate Piémontaise. On 6 March 1808, H.M.S. San Fiorenzo (38-gun; Capt. George Hardinge) came across three small English merchant ships being pursued by the French frigate Piémontaise. The English frigate chased the French frigate for two days and on March 8th the two ships fought a fierce battle with the French ship surrendering. Captain Hardinge was among thirteen dead British, while the French lost forty eight.
The artist of this print, Nicholas Pocock (1740-1821), was one of the outstanding marine artists of his day and also made an important contribution to the recording of British naval battles of the early 19th century. The way in which he depicted his subjects reflects his knowledge of how these ships operated at sea. An excellent example of English naval prints of this period. $1,100
Theo White. "Independence Hall." Lithograph signed in pencil and in the stone. On wove Zonen paper. Full sheet with deckle edge. 24 x 16. $250
Theo Ballou White (1902-1978) was a prolific Philadelphia artist and architect born and trained in Philadelphia, who later worked in Norfolk, Virginia. His lithographs are very much of the urban school style of the 1930s and 1940s producing a number of interesting prints, mostly architectural, from Philadelphia and around the United States.
"One of the first and most famous . . . of the florilegiums was published in the Netherlands in 1612 by the Dutchman Emmanuel [sic] Sweert. It has no text other than a catalogue of the 'illustrated plants' in Latin, German, French and English." [Lys de Bray: The Art of Botanical Illustration, p. 47]. These beautiful and colorful botanical images are fine examples of the genre of the florilegium. Though much of the information contained in works of this type was not original, the composition of the illustrations is extremely pleasing, and Sweert's work was no exception. Aside from aesthetic merit, this work served also as a sale catalogue, published with notice that plants could be purchased at the author's shop in Frankfurt-am-Main. [Blunt and Stearn: The Art of Botanical Illustration, p. 104] Many of these illustrations were second-generation copies from a 1608 pattern-book for embroidery by Pierre Vallet. Overall, Sweert's florilegium an excellent illustration of seventeenth century intersections between natural history, printmaking, and decorative arts.
Other plates from this series are also available. Call or email for more information.
A group of vivacious fruit and flower prints by Elizabeth Blackwell, one of the most famous early eighteenth-century botanical illustrators. Mrs. Blackwell lived a memorable life, having produced her charming Herbal (1737-9) to get her decidedly unpredictable husband out of debtor's prison. As the story goes: "...she took a lodging near the Chelsea Physic Garden and set about making the drawings and engravings which have made her famous. From his prison cell Alexander assisted with the text; and so successful was their joint venture that two years later he was released." (Wilfrid Blunt, Art of Botanical Illustration, p. 136) Unfortunately the story does not end here because Mr. Blackwell was subsequently arrested for treason in Sweden and executed. These appealing prints live on to remind us of Blackwell's remarkable story, as well as existing in their own right as an important part of the herbal tradition being the first English botanical series and the first to be hand colored. They were later reissued by the well-known botanical scholar Christoph Jakob Trew from 1747 to 1773 in Germany. All in all, a charming and fascinating series of botanical prints.
Other plates from this series are also available. Call or email for more information.
These prints are from one of the most diverse and comprehensive series of early fruit and flower prints, issued by Johann Weinmann in the first part of the eighteenth century. The subjects are beautifully drawn and rendered with vivid color. These prints are particularly interesting as early examples of color printing. The copper plate was prepared with etched outlines and mezzotinted interior tones. The images were then printed in color from the plates, and each was delicately finished with hand coloring. A large number of the drawings were done by Georg D. Ehret, one of the greatest eighteenth century botanical artists. This is a famous group of high-quality eighteenth century botanical prints.
Other plates from this series are also available. Call or email for more information.
January 27, 2021
Toshusai Sharaku, who specialized in kabuki portraits, was active for only less than a year from 1794 to 1795 issuing about 150 known prints. These prints which were issued in the twentieth century are from a rare two volume set which contained 72 facsimile reproductions individually mounted in protective paper mats with printed identification labels. Adachi was one of the most respected printers of the 20th century. These wood blocks were made using traditional nishiki-e methods, sumptuously done with applied powdered mica using the kira-zuri technique. $375 each
Tomikichiro Tokuriki. (1902-2000). From "The Fifteen View of Kyoto." Ktyoto: Uchida Woodblock Printing Co., ca. 1955. Colored Wood block. Approximately 11 x 10 (sheet). With original paper top mat. Prints hinged at corners right hand side on backing sheet as originally issued. Very good condition unless noted. Except as noted, $275 each
Prints by A.B. Frost. From Shooting Pictures. New York: Charles Scribner & Sons, 1895. All approximately 13 x 20. Chromolithographs by Armstrong & Co, Boston. Very good condition. Bennett: American Color Plate Books, 44.
Shortly after the appearance of the Gould portfolio, a similar portfolio, Shooting Pictures, was issued by Scribner & Sons. It consisted of twelve chromolithographs after Frost. Originally sold by subscription, each of the six parts included two prints and two text sheets. Also included were three pen and ink illustrations of shooting incidents, executed by Frost. The original subscription was limited to 2500 copies, but due to its size and cumbersomeness, many of the portfolios were broken up, the prints often being framed for display. The use of the lighter, French-style of chromolithography enabled the prints to capture the warmth and richness of the original watercolors.
Note that the Frost prints from this series were issued on thick backing boards. Some of the following prints have been removed from this backing board. Enquire for specifics on any particular print.
In the early twentieth century, Charles Scribner's Sons (successor to Scribner & Sons) issued another portfolio of chromolithographs after other Frost images. This portfolio consisted of six chromolithographs that formed pairs, illustrating the very human sporting situations of success and failure.
At the end of the Civil War, Philadelphia was an impressive urban center, the fourth largest city in the world. Most of its important structures were located in what is now known as "Center City." This clear, colorful map focuses on that section, while including the City of Camden across the Delaware River and the area of West Philadelphia where significant expansion occurred in the 1860s and 70s. With the removal of the University of Pennsylvania from Center City to its present location there, and the preparations for the Centennial celebration in West Fairmount Park, West Philadelphia was quickly becoming urbanized. The map was published by S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr., who had taken over his father's firm in 1860, maintaining the company as one of the largest cartographic firms in the world. The map depicts and names streets, rail lines, and major buildings. Each ward is colored in a contrasting pastel shade. $425
"Plan of the City of Philadelphia and Camden." Philadelphia: W.M. Bradley & Bro., 1887. 14 3/4 x 21 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.
A precisely detailed map from the Philadelphia publishing firm of William M. Bradley & Bro. While Philadelphia was no longer the main center of cartographic publishing in North America by the late nineteenth century, many fine maps were still produced there, as is evidenced by this map. The area depicted extends east to include Camden, New Jersey and west to include Fairmount Park, also indicating the Centennial Grounds. $450
January 22, 2021
Originally, Hogarth sold his prints in his own shop, as well as through other printsellers in London. In the mid-1730s he began also to sell his prints in bound form. Hogarth's fame spread and his popularity grew. However, while his prints sold well, Hogarth was constantly bothered by the sale of cheap copies. In response, he was instrumental in the 1735 passage of the Engravers' Copyright Act, often called "Hogarth's Act," which prohibited the unauthorized copying of a print for fourteen years following its publication. Early in his career, a number of Hogarth's plates were acquired by other printsellers, but most he retained in his possession until his death, leaving them in his will to his widow, Jane Hogarth. Jane continued to issue prints from these plates and she was able to secure an extended copyright of 20 years beginning in 1767. Upon Jane's death in 1789, the plates passed into the possession of printmaker, John Boydell. Boydell reissued the folio twice, and the plates were later acquired by Baldwin, Cradock & Joy in 1818.
These prints, engraved by Hogarth himself were issued during his lifetime as judged by the state of the printing and the paper. Most of his works were printed after his death as restrikes or reproductions, but these are superb lifetime renderings. $3,600 for the set of four.
A lovely print from a series of finely detailed prints of French gardens, fountains and palaces. These prints were drawn and engraved by Pierre Alexandre Aveline (1702-1760). In this series of views, architectural elements, formal gardens, elaborate fountains, and distant nature are rendered with great care and detail. Incidental figures and horses add delight and visual interest. Overall, a charming and important set of prints produced during a great period in French landscape design. $275
January 13, 2021
When issued in 1800, William Birch's prints of Philadelphia collectively formed the first series of views of any American city, and as such they are of great historical importance. The superior quality of the work is evidenced in the scope of its conception, the artistic excellence of the prints and their fine execution. The prints provide a unique visual record of Philadelphia at a time when it was the most important and cosmopolitan city in the Western Hemisphere, and for a time was the capital of the newly formed United States. Each print illustrates a scene, focusing on the sophistication of the inhabitants and the stateliness of the homes and public buildings.
The project of producing this series was carried out entirely in Philadelphia, and while many other individuals were involved, including Birch's son Thomas who provided many of the original drawings, the prints were the work of William Birch himself. He not only conceived and planned the project, but he also drew many of the scenes and did much of the engraving and publishing. $2,200
This lovely view of the Centre Square Waterworks was drawn by John James Barralet (ca. 1747-1815), an Irish artist who came to Philadelphia about 1795. Barralet had established a reputation as a landscape and historical artist in Dublin and London. When he first arrived in Philadelphia he was hired as an engraver with Alexander Lawson, and he took up painting scenes in and around Philadelphia. The engraving is by Cornelius Tiebout, who worked in New York, London and finally Philadelphia around 1799. Tiebout was the best of the early, American-born engravers, and this lovely etching is one of his finest works. This is the fourth state of the print, probably issued in the early 1830s. H. Quig acquired Tiebout's plate, and it appears that he added a small figure to the center of the print, perhaps in an attempt to enliven the scene. This figure was crudely engraved, quite out of scale, and so Quig attempted to burnish the image off the plate. This erasure was only partially successful, and so the third and fourth states of the print shows a light ghost image of this unfortunate interloper. The fourth state is distinguished from the third by the appearance of Quig's imprint at the bottom. $975
A well drawn map of the American northeast by Jacques Nicolas Bellin, the Hydrographer to the King of France. From about 1650 to 1750, the French dominated the cartographic world, with their fine, scientifically based maps, elegantly engraved and precisely detailed. Bellin (1703-72) was one of the best in the later period. This map shows the region from Delaware Bay to present-day Maine at the beginning of the French & Indian War. Topography is well presented, with rivers, lakes, and settlements clearly drawn. Of particular note are the indications of the forts that would play such an important role during the war, including Forts Niagara and Owego on Lake Erie, and in the strategic region between the Hudson and Lake Champlain, Forts George, Carillon, Edward, Lyduis, Anne, and Nicolson. Also of interest is the nascent road system. A major road runs along most of the coast, and several branches go inland, including one that lead to York in Pennsylvania and one that goes up the Hudson River to Albany and then up the Mohawk River. $375
Rigobert Bonne was the Royal Hydrographer of France, so his primary interest was in marine charts. However, with his Royal connections and access to the cartographic documents in Paris, Bonne was able to compile maps containing some of the most up-to-date information of his time. This map of the Western Hemisphere shows much of both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans as well. Details of the Pacific, including Hawaii, reported from Cook's voyages, and an accurate depiction of NW North America (still hinting at a Northwest passage) is clearly presented, and fascinating to study. In the lower right, the most decorative element is a 16 point compass rose. This is a fine map of the American continents from close to the beginning of U.S. history. $275
Rigobert Bonne was the Royal Hydrographer of France, so his primary interest was in marine charts. However, with his Royal connections and access to the cartographic documents in Paris, Bonne was able to compile maps containing some of the most up-to-date information of his time. This map of the Western Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico shows much detail of the coastlines, all clearly presented, and fascinating to study. This is a fine map of Central America from close to the beginning of U.S. history. $210
Jean Janvier was a French cartographer who worked in Paris in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Among his output were some fine maps which appeared in Jean Lattré's Atlas Moderne. This atlas contained maps of all parts of the world engraved by Lattré, the "Graveur Ordinaire du Roi." Janvier's maps contained the best information available at the time. This map contains information on counties, towns and rivers. This information is neatly engraved and highlighted with lovely hand color. A decorative cartouche graces the map, done in the baroque style. $150
An interesting American map of the North America. Published by Mathew Carey in 1814 during the War of 1812, this map is from Carey's Atlas which represented the best American cartographic work of the period. Carey, an Irish immigrant, established the first American specialized cartographic publishing firm. He set up an elaborate cottage system of craftsmen for engraving, printing, and coloring his maps utilizing the best independent artists directed to a common end. Carey is important, then, not only for the excellent maps he produced, but for his setting the pattern for American map publishing, to be followed by the likes of John Melish and Henry S. Tanner.
The map shows the best understanding of the continent prior to the explorations of Lewis & Clark. The map does show the lands of the Louisiana Purchase as belonging to the United States, with the northwestern most part named as "Quivira." The coastline, though, is quite accurate being based on the recent explorations of Vancouver and La Perouse. The river systems in the west are roughly and incorrectly shown, including the "Columbia or River of the West" extending so that it comes very close to some of the branches of the upper Mississippi. Some of the Indian tribes are noted, including Apacheria, Pimas and Yama. The nature of the Rocky Mountains is clearly not known, with the Canadian chain ending above the "River of the West" and there being only a small compact range near the headwaters of the Rio Grande and Colorado Rivers. An excellent map of the period. $450
Another in the line of superbly produced British maps from the beginning of the nineteenth century. Originally published in London by Cadell & Davis in 1812, the Atlas was republished by Dobson for the American market. Because of its large size, this map contains particularly impressive detail, all very finely engraved and enhanced with light pastel wash color. The map is virtually identical to work engraved by Neele for John Thomson of Edinburgh. $375
A large, highly detailed German map of North America. Topography is emphasized by the precise and bold engraving, highlighting the complex ridges and valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Rivers are also shown with some detail; capital cities are noted; and towns are marked according to size (as explained in the key). A color key indicates how to interpret the international borders, with green for Russia lands, red for Danish, yellow for British, red for Danish, pink for the United States, orange for Mexican, green for Guatamalan, and blue for French territories. Since Weiland's 1820 map of North America, the Canadian-American border had become slightly more defined along the 49th parallel, though it still lacked the final delineation, which would be determined by Polk's controversial 1846 compromise with the British. In the lower left hand corner, an inset details the Aleutian Islands. An impressive document both cartographically and aesthetically. $700
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