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ANONYMOUS after Alex CAMPBELL

George Washington, Esqr.

1775. Mezzotint. In fair condition with the exception of extensive creases throughout the image. Skilfully re-backed.Trimmed at platemark, and under title on lower margin. Paper in lower right corner is skinned. Two creases running through center of image. Image size: 12 3/4 x 9 5/16 inches. Sheet size: 13 3/4 x 9 5/16 inches.

A fascinating example of this extremely early print of George Washington.

Public curiosity for prints of George Washington was not limited to America but spread to the English and European print shops, where an inquisitive audience clamored for a glimpse at the notorious American hero. Interest in this great man reached such a frenzy that European publishers, eager to please a demanding market, published fictitious portraits of the general before they had an accurate likeness. Thus the first English and European prints of Washington were completely invented, and varied in likeness as much with each other as they did with Washington's own countenance. London publishers, using the names C. Shepard, Thomas Hart, and John Morris, issued a series of mezzotints of the officers of the American Revolution, none of which are copied from accurate portraits but rather, were constructed on a visual formula and bear no resemblance to the individuals they claim to be representing. This stunning print of Washington is exactly one of these invented English portraits, and therefore one of the earliest prints of the General. In fact, upon closer study it has come to light that there is no record of the artist Alex Campbell and that Washington never sat for these portraits. This amazing print is a fascinating example of the ingenious and devious ploys of the eighteenth century print trade as well as an extremely early print of one of our greatest founding fathers.

Hart, Catalogue of Engraved Portraits of Washington 730; Wick, George Washington an American Icon 18-22; Cresswell, The American Revolution in Drawings and Prints 206

#8931$2,750.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

A View of the Bridge over the Thames at Hampton Court / Vüe du Pont sur la Tamise à Hampton Court

London: Published by F. West, circa 1754. Hand-coloured engraving. Lovely later impression. Very good condition apart from two skillfully repaired 3/4" and 1/4" tears in the left margin. Plate mark: 11 1/4 x 16 5/8 inches. Sheet size: 15 1/8 x 21 1/2 inches.

A picturesque view of the first of four successive bridges built at Hampton Court, Middlesex.

Constructed in 1752-3, the bridge at Hampton Court spanned the busy Thames and currently links Hampton Court Palace, the historic royal residence of Henry VIII, with Hampton Court station. This charming print may have been loosely based on a drawing dating from 1753 by the renowned Italian topographical painter, etcher and draughtsman Canaletto.

#13791$800.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

A View of Westminster Bridge from Lambeth / Vüe du Pont de Westminster, prise de Lambert

London: F. West, circa 1745. Engraving, printed on wove paper. Very good condition apart from a 5/8" tear in the right margin and a light water stain in the top right corner of the sheet. Plate mark: 11 x 16 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 15 1/4 x 21 1/2 inches.

A stunning panoramic view of Westminster Bridge as seen from Lambeth, on the south bank of London, possibly from the series "A Collection of Views of old London and its Environs."

Among the Georgian buildings on London's north bank, the imposing Gothic structure of Westminster Abbey is visible as are the spires of the adjacent smaller church of St. Margaret. Further east, one can discern the distinct clock tower of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, which was designed by the Scottish architect James Gibbs and erected in Trafalgar Square in 1721. Spanning the bustling thoroughfare of the Thames and connecting north and south London is the impressive stone overpass Westminster Bridge. Based on a design by the French architect Monsieur Labelye, the bridge is straddled by elegant stone balustrades that are punctuated by fourteen piers. It was constructed between 1739 and 1749 and was the only bridge aside from London Bridge that stood on the Thames during this period. In 1750, it was opened to the public.

Cf. Adams, London Illustrated 1604-1851, pp. 457-60.

#13390$450.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

Broadside announcing a "Lecture on the Telephone by Professor Himes. Rheem's Hall, Thursday, June 13th [1878]"

1878. Printed broadside. Very good condition apart from some mild offsetting, a small water stain in the top right-hand corner, and slight discolouration of the paper due to age. Sheet size: 20 7/8 x 13 3/8 inches.

A rare broadside advertising a lecture accompanied by one of the first ever public broadcasts of music over the telephone.

On June 13, 1878, Charles Francis Himes, amateur photographer and erudite Professor of Natural Sciences at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, delivered a lecture on the nature and function of the newly invented telephone, which had been patented only two years before by Alexander Graham Bell. As this historical broadside publicizes, Himes' lecture included a demonstration of the telephone's startling capabilities in which music was broadcast through the telephone line by a Professor G. H. Barker at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Unlike its revolutionary predecessor the telegraph, the telephone made remote audio communication feasible and can thus be considered a precursor of the modern radio. During the 1870s and 1880s, its unprecedented capabilities were exploited, and the device was used to disseminate news and entertainment on an experimental basis. Although the first music concerts transmitted by telephone date to the late 1870s, regular, on-going entertainment broadcast services were not truly established until the 1890s in Paris, London and Hungary. Among the first on-going services in America were the Telephone Herald in Newark, New Jersey and Tel-musici in Wilmington, Delaware, both of which were established in the early 1900s. Tel-musici operated by subscription and distributed phonographic music over the telephone lines.

Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Charles Francis Himes (1838-1918) studied at the New Oxford Collegiate and Medical Institute in Adams County, Pennsylvania before transferring to Dickinson College in 1853. After graduating from Dickinson in 1855, he taught natural science and mathematics at a number of institutions including the Wyoming Conference Academy, Baltimore Female College, and Troy University. In 1863, Himes enrolled in the graduate program at the University of Giessen in Germany, from which he earned a PhD in 1865. He was then appointed Professor of Natural Sciences at Dickinson College, where he remained until his retirement in 1896.

Himes was a devoted faculty member at Dickinson, serving as school president between 1888 and 1889 and secretary and treasurer to the Board of Trustees from 1868 to 1896. He significantly enhanced the college's science curriculum and founded its first Scientific Society in 1867. His academic pursuits were not, however, limited to his position at Dickinson, and he was an active member of numerous external societies including the American Philosophical Society, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Cumberland County Historical Society, and the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, where he frequently lectured. In 1858, Himes began to pursue his burgeoning interest in photography and consequently joined the Pennsylvania Photographic Society and Amateur Photographic Exchange Club in the early 1860s. In addition to exhibiting some of his work, he taught photography classes during the summers at Mountain Lake Park, Maryland.

#14538$3,500.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

Burnell Castle Shropshire

London: Published by J. Deeley, Berwick St. Soho, Aug. 8, 1811. Coloured aquatint. Printed on watermarked Whatman paper. In excellent condition with the exception of being trimmed within the plate mark. Right and left corner have been skillfully repaired. A few tiny tears along lower edge which have been skillfully mended. Image size: 10 5/8 x 14 3/4 inches. Sheet size: 12 3/16 x 16 inches.

A picturesque aquatint of Burnell Castle near the villiage of Acton Burnell in Shropshire.

This beautiful aquatint of Burnell Castle in Shropshire epitomizes the grand era of English printmaking. Burnell Castle was built in the 13th century by Robert Burnell, the bishop of Bath and Wells. Burnell was the favored confidante of Edward I, and the King was a regular visitor to the castle. It is believed that Edward convened one of the first parliaments here in 1263.

#13542$900.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

Description of the Chase

London: Published by Haines & Son, No. 19 Rolls Buildings, Fetter Lane, Feb. 1, 1798. Mezzotint. Printed on wove paper. In excellent condition with the exception of some glue residue on the verso of the sheet. Faint vertical creases in sheet. Image size: 9 ¼ x 13 7/8 inches. Plate mark: 9 7/8 x 13 7/8 inches. Sheet size: 10 3/8 x 14 5/16 inches.

A bold hunting scene of a gentleman recounting the details of the hunt.

This early hunting scene follows the tradition of James Seymour by presenting a small format sporting picture in a bold decisive style. The artist and engraver are not recorded on the plate, which was typical of works published at the period by Haines & Son. Haines & Son were prolific publishers and printsellers who catered to the decorative print market, they often republished earlier plates, which they acquired from other publishers, such as Carington Bowles and Robert Sayer. This image, which is listed as plate 5, is most likely the fifth plate in a set of six prints.

#15286$900.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

Drawing Cover

London: Published by Haines & Son, No. 19 Rolls Buildings, Fetter Lane, Feb. 1, 1798. Mezzotint. Printed on wove paper. In excellent condition with the exception of some glue residue on the verso of the sheet. Four vertical creases in sheet. A small abrasion in image. Image size: 9 ¼ x 13 7/8 inches. Plate mark: 9 7/8 x 13 7/8 inches. Sheet size: 10 3/8 x 14 3/8 inches.

A bold hunting scene of a rider drawing cover.

This early hunting scene follows the tradition of James Seymour by presenting a small format sporting picture in a bold decisive style. The artist and engraver are not recorded on the plate, which was typical of works published at the period by Haines & Son. Haines & Son were prolific publishers and printsellers who catered to the decorative print market, they often republished earlier plates, which they acquired from other publishers, such as Carington Bowles and Robert Sayer. This image, which is listed as plate 2, is most likely the second plate in a set of six prints.

#15285$900.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

Erica Grandiflora, Octandra Monogynia

circa 1810. Pencil and watercolour. Painted on wove paper. Title in ink at bottom of sheet. In perfect condition. Sheet has been remargined and given an artificial platemark. Image size: 16 x 10 inches. Sheet size: 22 x 17 3/8 inches.

A stunningly executed watercolour of the "Erica Grandiflora" plant, native to the Cape province of South Africa.

From the end of the eighteenth century until the early decades of the nineteenth century, England was swept up in a horticultural craze known as "ericamania". Interest in the genus "Erica" was being stimulated by the apparently endless stream of plants being discovered and shipped back from South Africa. Nurserymen specialized in cultivating the new arrivals and at the height of 'ericamania' large numbers of different varieties were available across the whole of England. At one time there were over 228 different varieties of "ericas" under cultivation by one London grower alone.

This stunning drawing is a wonderful example of the Erica Grandiflora plant with its fetching yellow blossoms. Unfortunately we have not been able to discover any information concerning the artist of this charming botanical watercolour. It is obviously from the hand of an accomplished amateur painter who had a natural talent for composition and keen eye for detail. Amateur flower painting became extremely popular during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century as a favored pursuit for aristocratic women. Painting was viewed as a necessary talent for young women, and was eagerly pursued and practiced by the upper classes. This skillful painting is a beautiful botanical study and speaks to the skill of the artist. It is finely executed and delicately coloured and is a charming depiction of this rare South African flower.

#17061$600.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

Franz Hanfstaengl

Dresden & Leipzig: Published by C. Naumann & Rudolph Weigel., 1843. Lithograph. Printed on chine colle on large wove backing sheet. In excellent condition with the exception of some faint foxing in the margins. Two small tears on right margin of sheet. Faint creases along bottom margin of sheet. Image size (including text): 15 ½ x 13 inches. Sheet size: 27 ¾ x 20 5/8 inches.

A lovely portrait of the celebrated photographer Franz Hanfstengl.

Franz Hanfstaengl (1804-1877) was one of the most noted photographers in Europe. In addition to his celebrated photographs, Hanfstaengl was also a gifted lithographer and produced a wealth of excellent portraits of some of the most noted figures of the day. He worked primarily in Munich but executed likenesses of celebrities across Europe and England.

#16114$450.00
 
 
ANONYMOUS

[General Lafayette]

circa 1850. Mixed method mezzotint and engraving. Proof before letters. Printed on fine india paper mounted on thick white wove as issued. In excellent condition. Image size: 9 1/8 x 7 inches. Plate mark: 12 1/4 x 10 1/8 inches. Sheet size: 17 1/2 x 12 7/8 inches.

This is a wonderful proof impression of this lovely oval portrait of General Lafayette, the great American sympathizer.

Lafayette's actions during the American Revolution earned him a place in America's pantheon of heroes. Joining the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, he was one of the first Frenchman to come to America's aid. Through his valiant commitment to the American cause, Lafayette became a close associate of Washington's, and he helped negotiate French aid for the rebellion. He was voted a major general at the age of 20 by the Continental Congress, and his actions at the battle of Yorktown helped corner the British forces, leading to their surrender. Returning to France, he became involved in Revolution, making him, ultimately, a hero in his own country and in the New World. In 1824, as the United States approached its 50th anniversary, President Monroe invited General Lafayette to return to America. He enjoyed a hero's welcome and toured the 24 states in triumph. Lafayette had a great love for the United States, a sentiment which is best expressed in his eloquent words to Henry Laurens, the Congressional President; "The moment I heard of America I loved her; the moment I knew she was fighting for freedom I burnt with a desire of bleeding for her; and the moment I shall be able to serve her, at any time, or in any part of the world, will be the happiest of my life". Through his involvement in the American and French revolutions Lafayette became a symbol of the ideals of liberty and release from tyranny. Lafayette's veneration for the United States was so strong that when he returned to France, he took with him a plot of American soil, within which he was buried.

#10257$650.00
 
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