Colored print; full length portrait of a young Indian woman with basket of flowers on her head, accompanied by a young Indian boy holding a bow and arrow. Teepees and canoe in background.
Colored print; full length portrait of Davy Crockett holding a rifle and waving his cap. He is standing outside and is surrounded by three dogs. An ominous sky lurks in the background.
Chromolithograph of five chickens, two black and three yellow. Two are struggling with an insect of which they both have a hold. Tufts of grass and weeds in background.
Black and white print of the lavishly decorated “Gem Saloon,” known for containing the city's largest mirror. The top of the mirror features a large eagle. The “Gem Saloon” was located in a hotel on the corner of Broadway and Anthony (now Worth Street) in New York City. Mayor Fernando Wood and eleven male politicians and businessmen are depicted drinking and conversing along with two bartenders and a dog. The title refers to the debate that was raging over the regulation of alcohol and a temperance movement that was launched in 1850 by the mayor of Portland, Maine in 1850. The Maine state bill forbid all alcoholic purchases except for "medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes", resulting in an increase of alcoholic “quackery” medicines. Several other cities and states followed Maine’s example in legislation. In New York liquor law was passed in 1854 but vetoed by Governor Horatio Seymour. Then in 1855, with a new administration, the "Maine Law" was passed in New York, though it was never strictly enforced.
Augustus Fay was an engraver, lithographer and illustrator born in New York in 1824. He was active as an engraver in New York City 1848-1860, and as a lithographer in Hoboken, New Jersey and in New York in the 1850s.
Colored print of large tree representing "common law" growing out of "natural law" and "revealed law". The roots represent general customs, particular laws, and particular customs. It has two main branches: one commands the rights of persons and things and the other forbids public and private wrongs. A man with a pruning saw stands beside the tree.
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This three-quarter length colored portrait print is of a man and woman standing together. Both of them are wearing elaborate clothing of an earlier period. The woman holds a small bouquet of flowers to her chest while the man is handing her a small portrait. Behind her is a castle atop a hill and a sailing ship over the man's right shoulder.
J. Belony was a lithographer and publisher, who was based in New York City.
Colored print; outdoor winter scene depicting children skating on frozen lake. In foreground a man and woman ride in a two-horse open sleigh. At right, a girl descends stone steps with a small dog on a leash.
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This hand colored print is a full length portrait of a young dark haired woman. She is seated indoors in a blue upholstered chair, holding a handkerchief in one hand and looking at an oval miniature in her other hand. Behind her is a window with a blue drape,a patterned wall and carpet, and a vase of flowers on the table with a patterned tablecloth.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, who was active in New York from 1838 to 1855. James Baillie started as a framer in 1838, and then became an artist and lithographer in 1843 or 1844. He discovered how to color lithographs while working as an independent contractor for Currier & Ives in the mid 1840’s. A prolific lithographer and colorist for Currier & Ives; his prints were extremely popular with a wide distribution. J. Baillie spent his later years concentrating on painting instead of lithography.
Sentimental genre prints documented the social image of Victorian virtue through domestic scenes of courtship, family, home life, and images of the “genteel female.” Children are depicted studying nature or caring for their obedient pets as they learn their place in the greater world. Romantic scenes picture devoted husbands with their contented, dutiful wives. In these prints, young women educated in reading, music, needlework, the arts, the language of flowers, basic math and science are subjugated to their family’s needs.
These prints became popular as lithography was introduced to 19th Century Americans. As a new art form, it was affordable for the masses and provided a means to share visual information by crossing the barriers of race, class and language. Sentimental prints encouraged the artistic endeavors of schoolgirls and promoted the ambitions of amateur artists, while serving as both moral instruction and home or business decoration. They are a pictorial record of our romanticized past.
This colored print is a three-quarter length portrait of man and woman seated indoors. The woman is finely dressed in a long dress with lace trim, gloves, and a jewel on her forehead. The gentleman wears a dress coat and plaid trousers. He appears to be pondering how best to ask marriage. Room furnishings include: an ornate table and side chairs,an open jewelry box and vase on a table and a guitar under table. Fancy lace curtains, draperies, and a carved mirror decorate the room.
The print was produced by Sarony & Major. Napoleon Sarony (1821–1896) was born in Quebec, Canada and trained under several lithography firms including Currier & Ives and H.R. Robinson. Sarony was also known for his successful experiments in early photography, eventually developing a cabinet-sized camera. In 1846, Sarony partnered with another former apprentice of Nathaniel Currier, Henry B. Major and created Sarony & Major Lithography firm. Joseph F. Knapp joined the firm in 1857. Sarony, Major & Knapp earned a solid reputation for lithography and the company was especially known for its fine art chromolithography. Unfortunately, by the 1870s, the firm shifted focus to the more profitable area of advertising. It also expanded to become the conglomerate known as the American Lithographic Company, successfully producing calendars, advertising cards and posters. In 1930 they were bought out by Consolidated Graphics.
This hand-colored allegorical print displays hopes for reconciliation through the federal program of Reconstruction. The nation and government are symbolized by an enormous canopy-like structure, upon which is emblazoned with a map of the United States. An eagle holding a crest and American flag sits atop the map. A frieze that encircles the structure’s dome displays depictions of the Senate, House of Representatives, Supreme Court, and Cabinet. Pillars representing each of the state governments support the dome. However, the pillars and bases symbolizing the Confederate states are in the process of being replaced, providing for the viewer a pictorial representation of the process of Reconstruction. Under the shelter of the canopy, the leaders of the Union and the Confederacy come to terms: Ulysses S. Grant shakes hands with Robert E. Lee and Horace Greeley embraces Jefferson Davis. At the bottom of the illustration, a black and white baby sleep under an eagle holding a banner reading, “All men are born free and equal.” In the lower left, intermixed gathering of black and white voters gather near two plaques labeled “Universal Suffrage.” In the lower right, white officials meet with Native American chiefs in a tent to discuss terms of “Indian Reconstruction.” Nearby, black and white children play together in the yard of a school marked as “Universal Education.” Above the landscape of the print, the faces of various American statesmen and historical figures look down from a cloud upon Reconstruction. Near the center of this array of profiles, John C. Calhoun and Daniel Webster feature prominently. In the center, a robed figure of Jesus wearing a crown of peace is accompanied by the words, “Do to others as you would have others do to you.” In the upper right corners float the female personifications of Liberty and Justice. Below the faces, two disembodied hands are clasped, followed by the words, “Union & Liberty Forever.” Although idealistic, many of the elements depicted in this print would not become realities during Reconstruction: universal suffrage and education for all races would not come into practice until the 20th century, westward expansion would result in continuing bloodshed and further mar U.S. - Native Americans relations, and the country would continue to face deep regional sectionalism throughout the 19th century.
The print was illustrated by John L. Giles, a New York artist and lithographer active between 1876 and 1882. It was printed by Francis Ratellier, a New York lithographer active from 1859 to 1869. The print was published by Horatio Bateman of New York. Three years after the creation of this print, Bateman published Reconstruction Illustrated and Explained: Biographies of 250 Distinguished National Men, which identified all of the people depicted in the work.
Colored print; barnyard in foreground with horses, pigs, cows, fowl and a goat. Gabled farmhouse in right background, barn in left background. Man, woman and two children perform various chores around the yard.
This black and white print depicts a central bust portrait of John Hart (1833-1904) surrounded by six images of him displaying a variety of facial expressions in blackface. Hart was born in Monongahela City, Pennsylvania and began his minstrel career in 1854 as a member of Eisenbeice’s Minstrels. Known as "Fat" Hart for his portly figure, he toured with a variety of minstrel groups through New York, Pennsylvania, and other states and with performers like Edward Harrigan (1844-1911).
This lithograph was produced by the Metropolitan Printing Company and E. Rothengatter. Emil Rothengatter (1848-1939) was a German-born artist and designer of circus posters who worked in cities including Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1896 he won a contest to design the flag of Cincinnati for a work he called “Zero of Burnet Woods.” However, controversy over whether Cincinnati should have a flag delayed the design’s formal adoption until 1940. Emil Rothengatter also wrote a book entitled Art of Poster Making in the United States, published in 1911. He died in New York.
This colored print depicts a battlefield covered with dead and dying people. A burnt log cabin stands on the left and a Russian Orthodox church with onion domes (likely St. Basil’s Cathedral) appears in the background on the right. The drama Michael Strogoff was based on a novel by Jules Verne about a courier for the Russian Tsar Alexander II. It follows his daring adventures through Siberia, which was under invasion by the Tartars, as he tries to stop the rebellion.
The Kiralfy Brothers, Imre (ca 1845-1919) and Bolossy (ca 1848 -1932), were dancers, directors, and producers of burlesque and variety shows. The Kiralfys were born in Budapest, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and began dancing onstage as children. Although their family name was Konigsbaum, they performed as the Kiralfy brothers to conceal their father's involvement in revolutionary politics. They studied dance at the Opera Ballet in Paris and toured with shows in Europe before making their American debut in George L. Fox's production of Hiccory Diccory Dock in 1869. Inspired by the lavish spectacles they'd seen in Paris, they also began producing shows, which were famous for their large casts, extravagant sets, and bold special effects. A production called The Deluge featured an actual rainfall on stage, while Around the World in Eighty Days included a live elephant and a helium balloon operated by wires. They were also among the early showmen to use electric lighting for their acts, and their 1883 show Excelsior was staged under the direction of Thomas Edison. Their works often featured stories and settings from around the world. The Kiralfys dissolved their partnership in 1887 but continued to stage large scale shows on their own. Imre Kirafly moved to England where he created replicas of historic events like Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition. Bolossy’s shows included Carnival in Venice, a Portland, Oregon production which featured a lake connected to a canal.
This chromolithograph was produced by Henry Atwell Thomas and C. Kendrick. Henry Atwell Thomas (1834-1904) was an artist, portrait painter, and lithographer especially well known for his theatrical portraits. His New York firm was called H. A. Thomas Lith. Studio until 1887, when it became H. A. Thomas & Wylie Lithographic (sometimes cited as Lithography or Lithographing) Company. No information available about C. Kendrick other than he appears to have partnered with Thomas on numerous print projects in 1878 and 1879.
Colored print of two hunters with their dogs in a marshy field. The dogs and one hunter are looking at partridges in the lower left corner. The other hunter is firing at a bird in flight.
Colored print depicting scenes and maps commemorating the laying of the Transatlantic Cable from Trinity Bay to Valencia Bay. Includes flags of Great Britian and the United States; text of the Queen's message and of the President's message; two clipper ships, the "Niagara" and the "Agamemnon"; and a large "time indicator" showing the time at various cities throughout the world.
Colored print of a family watching from the shore as a small boat filled with people heads out to a larger vessel that waits on the horizon. Crude cottages with thatched roofs in background.
In 1864, Lincoln appointed Ulysses S. Grant to lead all Union armies, and reinvigorated under the General’s leadership and policy of total war, the Union armies launched numerous offensives against the Confederate armies in all of the war’s theaters. This print published that same year by J.H. Bufford provides a detailed allegory of the United States at war. The female personification of Liberty sits on a throne of clouds below the words “E Pluribus Unum” and an arc of 13 stars. She wears a Phrygian cap, and wields a sword, shield, and American flag. Below her, an eagle perches atop a shield decorated with stars and stripes, grasping arrows and an olive branch in its talons. To the left, a Native American warrior stands armed with a bow and tomahawk, extending his right hand. On the right, a sailor gripping an anchor gazes up at the figure of Liberty. At their feet lie cannons, rifles, swords, and other instruments of war. Below this symbolic arrangement, one can make out the U.S. Capitol, the Potomac River, and a camp of Union soldiers through the clouds.
This print was published by the lithographer John H. Bufford. The son of a sign painter and gilder, Bufford trained with Pendleton's Lithography in Boston, 1829-1831. He worked in New York with George Endicott and Nathaniel Currier (1835-1839) before returning to Boston where he developed a reputation for printing and publishing popular prints, commercial work, labels, and trade cards. The company went through several iterations and name changes until about 1865. He became the chief artist for Benjamin Thayer until buying out the firm to found J. H. Bufford & Co. (1844-1851). He continued to work in the lithography and publishing business for the remainder of his life. In 1865, his sons Frank and Henry John became partners in Bufford & Sons or J.H. Bufford’s Sons Litho. Co. After his death they continued the family business as Bufford Brothers and as Bufford Sons Engraving & Lithographing Company until 1911.
The artist of this work, Joseph E. Baker (1837-1914), began as an apprentice at J. H. Bufford & Co. in 1857. He eventually became James Bufford’s principal draftsman and illustrator of sheet music. He worked in NYC in 1860-1867 and specialized in portrait prints. During the Civil War he produced political cartoons and lithographs for Bufford. He later worked for Armstrong & Company, remaining active until 1888.