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.
Colored print; full length portrait of man and woman happily walking arm in arm near a river's edge. Both appear to be in fine riding costume and carry riding crops. The man wears a fitted coat, brocade vest, ascot, plaid trousers and a high silk hat. The woman wears a long skirt with train, fitted bodice, high stiff collar with bow tie, and a high silk hat. Several small sailboats and a canoe are on the river in a bucolic background scene while a group of homes and a church or large municipal building are on a hill overlooking the river..
The print was produced by Sarony & Major. Napoleon Sarony (1821–1896) was born in Quebec 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.
Colored print of Scottish Games. Proof before letters. A ring of spectators, many dressed in kilts with bagpipes, surrounding participants engaged in a variety of games on an open field. Tents in background.
This colored print shows a couple in various stages of a relationship. The figures are depicted on ascending steps, from "Quizzing" on the lower left to the top center, titled "The Marriage", and then descending to the last step at bottom right, titled "The Divorce". Allegorical vignettes below the figures also depict each stage. In the center are verses that corresponded with each scene. This comic print presents an image similar to the popular ladders or stairs of life prints which first appeared in the 16th Century but were popular as 19th Century prints.
This print was produced by the lithography company, E. C. Kellogg and Company. The company was a continuation of the Kellogg family firm. In 1851, after the brief partnership of Kellogg & Comstock disbanded, E.C. Kellogg continued running the business under the name E.C. Kellogg & Co. His brother, E.B. Kellogg, rejoined the firm in 1855, and it became known as E.B. & E.C. Kellogg and Company.
This black and white wood engraving is colored with a blue tint overlay and was used as a theater poster or advertising billboard. Reading from top to bottom, the poster states, “The Sensational Event/ Jas. H. Wallick’s Bandict King / Jas. H. Wallick / Roan Charger and Bay Raider / Popular Prices.” At the center is an oval bust portrait of the actor Jas. H. Wallick. Above and below this portrait are two rectangular scenes, one showing Wallick with his two horses and the other depicting a performance of The Great Bowie Knife Fight on Horseback. The "Roan Charger" and the "Bay Raider" refer to the very expensive horses that purportedly once belonged to Jesse James.
James H. Wallick (ca 1839-1908) was born in Hurley, New York. Sources have suggested varying possibilities for his birth name, including Patrick J. Fubbins, James Henry Wheeler, or James H. Fubbins Wallick. There has also been speculation that he took the last name Wallick to link himself to the actor James William Wallack, Sr. James Wallick appeared in melodramas and circuses before achieving his best-known success in The Bandit King, a touring Wild West show loosely based on the life of outlaw Jesse James, recast as an anti- hero named Joe Howard. After the death of James in 1882, Wallick created, produced, and starred in the drama, originally titled Jesse James, The Bandit King,. The production featured the typical Wild West genre like horses, buffalo, trick riding and an impressive sharpshooting demonstration. The show was comprised of 6 acts and 8 tableaux and sometimes featured Robert J. Ford, James's real-life killer. The Bandit King made several tours across the country from 1882 to about 1902. Wallick’s other productions included The Cattle King and The Mountain King. He made and lost several fortunes over the course of his career and suffered from heavy debt. He committed suicide in 1908.
Jim Bowie (ca 1796-1836) was a Kentucky-born frontiersman, who became legendary for surviving a fierce knife duel known as the Sandbar Fight. The style of knife he carried became known as the Bowie knife, named in his honor. He was killed fighting at the Battle of the Alamo in Texas in 1836.
This lithograph was produced by the Great Western Printing Company of St. Louis, Missouri, which was eventually bought by the National Printing and engraving Company of New York.
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 an interior scene with full length portraits of grandmother, mother and two children, one of whom is an infant being nursed by the mother. The older child holds a basket of kittens and mother cat is grabbing at her apron. All are wearing simple, everyday dress. Depicted furnishings include chairs with wicker bottoms, a chest, a tray and a two shelf bookcase is hung on the wall with wire. Vase and sewing accessories are on the window sill, while toys are scattered on the floor.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. Edmund Burke Kellogg and Elijah Chapman Kellogg were brothers of the founder of the Kellogg lithography firm, Daniel Wright Kellogg. After D.W. Kellogg moved west, his two brothers took over the family lithography firm in 1840 and changed the name to E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. The youngest of the four Kellogg brothers, these two were responsible for the continued success of the family firm. These two brothers were also involved in the eventual partnerships between the company and Horace Thayer in 1845 or 1846, John Chenevard Comstock in 1848 and William Henry Bulkeley in 1867.
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, comic print depicts a man and woman seated on a sofa. The woman wears a long full skirt, tight bodice, ruffles on sleeves and an amulet around neck. The woman is displaying a simpering expression toward the man and is either putting a ring on the man’s finger or taking it off. The man is wearing a tuxedo with shirt pin. A high silk hat rests on the sofa beside him. The pair is sitting on a sofa of ornate upholstery, drapery and patterned carpet. On the wall behind the couch is an ornately framed picture of Cupid, who appears to be shooting an arrow at the man, who is perched on the edge of the sofa and appears ready to leave.
Also known as H. Bucholaer, H. Bucholzer was a cartoonist who lived and worked in New York City. His work was published by James S. Baillie from 1843 – 1847.
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 an indoor scene of a young man seated on an ornate upholstered armchair with one foot resting on a side chair. The bachelor is dressed in a double breasted, plaid weskit, plaid pants, a large silk tie and fitted coat. He is smoking a cigar and has the newspaper "Spirit of the Times" resting in his lap. The headline reads "War/10,000/Recruits/for Mexic/Great/Foot Race/President's Message. The lithographer also promotes himself by including his own advertisement with a list of his retailer. It reads: "Cheap Prints/Cheapest in the World/at J. Baillie's/ New York and sond by/Sowle & Shaw/52 Cornhill/Boston/A.H. Stillwell/Providence/R.I./A.J. Loomis/9 Washington/St.... J. Bar.../ 39 Fourth St./ Philadelphia." Room furnishings include a pedestal table with a marble top, another table with a fringed tablecloth, a clock and candleabrum on the marble fireplace mantle. On the pedestal table there is a basket of fruit, wine bottle and glass, a container of cigars, a can of sardines and a knife. Patterned wallpaper, patterned carpet and heavy fringed drapery complete the scene. Prints depicting a bachelor in his quarters and titled Single were common during this period and were often part of a series the included Married.
This print was produced by James S Baillie, 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.
This print was inscribed "presented by Henry Lyman Chamberlain to the only man in the Junior Class or '48 & 9 not engaged. Bath April 9, 1849" W. L. Gardner .
This colored print depicts a male from infancy to old age in decade-long spans. This was a popular and recurring theme of genteel society during the 19th Century. The figures are shown on ascending steps up to age 50 and then descending, with age 100 being the lowest to the right. Each image portrays a well-dressed youth or man in appropriate attire for his position in society (i.e., gentleman, soldier, elder). Verses beneath each figure associate a depicted animal with that stage of life. A small vignette of two people standing near a monument in a cemetery is in the center foreground.
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 1840s. He was a prolific lithographer and colorist for Currier & Ives, and his prints were extremely popular with a wide distribution. James Baillie spent his later years concentrating on painting instead of lithography.
This colored print shows a female at different stages from infancy to old age. This was a popular and recurring theme of genteel society during the 19th Century. The figures are depicted in ascending steps to middle age and then descending, with old age being the lowest to the right. Each image portrays a well-dressed girl or woman in appropriate attire for her position in society (i.e., bride, mother, matron). There are verses beneath each figure and vignettes that symbolize various stages of life. A small vignette of two people standing beside a man digging three graves is in the center foreground.
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 1840s. He was a prolific lithographer and colorist for Currier & Ives, and his prints were extremely popular with a wide distribution. James Baillie spent his later years concentrating on painting instead of lithography.
This hand-colored print depicts an interior scene of an unmarried man opening a large basket that contains two infants. The man wears a long coat, vest, high collar, bow tie and plaid trousers. An unopened letter lies on the floor near the basket. He has a look of dismay as he peers down on the unruly infants and realizes his responsibilities for the babies. A family of four looks on gleefully through a door in the background. Also in the background are a picture on the wall of a man on horseback, flowered wallpaper, and a patterned rug.
Thomas W. Strong, a wood engraver and lithographer who worked in New York City from 1842-1851 produced this print. After 1851 he was listed as a publisher. Strong's prints included commentaries on social and moral themes as well as cartoons and funny valentines.
This hand colored print is a small oval portrait of Benjamin Franklin with a “rhebus,” where pictures are used to represent various sounds and words to explain as well as illustrate The art of making money plenty in every man's pocket by Doctor Franklin. Franklin (1706-1790), the American statesman, Founding Father and inventor, adopted a philosophy of self-improvement that espoused 13 virtues including frugality, industry and moderation.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. Edmund Burke Kellogg (1809-1872) and Elijah Chapman Kellogg (1811-1881) were brothers of the founder of the Kellogg lithography firm, Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874). After D.W. Kellogg moved west, his two brothers took over the family lithography firm in 1840 and changed the name to E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. The younger two of the four Kellogg brothers, they were responsible for the continued success of the family firm. These two brothers were also involved in the eventual partnerships between the company and Horace Thayer in 1845 or 1846, John Chenevard Comstock (1818-1862) in 1848 and William Henry Bulkeley (1840-1902) in 1867.
This hand colored print shows a female at different stages from infancy to old age. This was a popular and recurring theme of genteel society during the 19th Century. The figures are depicted in ascending steps to middle age and then descending, with old age being the lowest to the right. Each image portrays a well-dressed girl or woman in appropriate attire for her position in society (i.e., bride, mother, matron). There are verses beneath each figure and vignettes that symbolize various stages of life. A small vignette of two people standing beside a man digging three graves is in the center foreground.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm of Kelloggs & Comstock in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1848, John Chenevard Comstock (1818-1862) formed a partnership with E.B. and E.C. Kellogg. In 1850, Edmund Burke Kellogg (1809-1872) left the firm, leaving his brother Elijah Chapman Kellogg (1811-1881) and J.C. Comstock to run the lithography firm as Kellogg and Comstock. The short-lived partnership disbanded in 1851. It was not until 1855 that Edmund Burke Kellogg rejoined his brother E.C. Kellogg and continued the successful operation of the family’s lithography firm. The print was distributed by D. Needham of New York City.
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.
This color lithograph is a half-length portrait of John Camel Heenan, dressed formally in a three-piece suit and tie. An eagle with a banner in its mouth is depicted beneath the portrait. The banner reads "Champion of America." Beneath it is a declaration of his height (6’ ½”) and his fighting weight (192-195 pounds).
John Camel Heenan (1833/34-1873) was an American bare-knuckle prizefighter, who was born in West Troy, New York, the son of Irish immigrants. At the age of 17, he headed west to the Gold Rush town of Benecia, California, where he worked as a strong man and enforcer in labor and political disputes. His reputation for informal brawling earned him the nickname the “Benecia Boy” and captured the attention of an English trainer named Jim Cusick, who moved with Heenan back to New York. Because fighting was illegal in the United States at that time, Heenan participated in his first national heavyweight bout in Canada in 1858. He lost the match to reigning champion John Morrissey in what some claimed to be an unfair fight because of crowd interference. After Morrissey retired from the ring, Heenan became national champion by default. He fought his second match—this time against Tom Sayers in 1860—in a field in Farnborough, Hampshire, England. Bare knuckle fighting was also illegal in England, and the confrontation attracted widespread public attention. It quickly turned brutal and chaotic, and ended in a draw after five rounds when the police threatened to intervene.
The match has been described as the first world title fight, and it led to the establishment of a boxing code of conduct that included three-minute rounds, mandatory gloves, and ten-second counts after knockdowns. Heenan lost his third and final world title match, also in England, to a fighter named Tom King in 1863. Again, there were charges that the fight had been unfair, this time because of biased calls by the referee. Heenan also later claimed he’d been drugged. He devoted his final years to the gambling business. He died at the age of 38 after contracting tuberculosis in what was then the Wyoming territory. Heavy press coverage turned Heenan into a superstar, celebrated not only in prints, but in advertisements, poems, ballads, and theatrical productions.
This lithograph was produced by the lithographic firm of E. B. & E. C Kellogg and published and sold by George Whiting. Edmund Burke Kellogg and Elijah Chapman Kellogg were younger brothers of the founder of the Kellogg lithography firm, Daniel Wright Kellogg. After Daniel Wright Kellogg moved west, his two brothers took over the family lithography firm in 1840 and changed the name to E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. They were responsible for the continued success of the family firm and involved in partnerships with Horace Thayer in 1845/1846, John Chenevard Comstock in 1848 and William Henry Bulkeley in 1867.
This print was published by George Whiting, who worked as the agent and distributor of the Kellogg brothers’ prints in New York from 1848 to 1860. In 1860, the Kelloggs closed their New York office and Whiting took over the firm, selling prints until his death two years later.
This hand colored print depicts a male from infancy to old age in decade-long spans. This was a popular and recurring theme of genteel society during the 19th Century. The figures are shown on ascending steps up to age 50 and then descending, with age 100 being the lowest to the right. Each image portrays a well-dressed youth or man in appropriate attire for his position in society (i.e., gentleman, soldier, elder). Verses beneath each figure associate a depicted animal with that stage of life. A small vignette of two people standing near a monument in a cemetery is in the center foreground. A flag waves at the top of the pyramid.
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-1840s. He was a prolific lithographer and colorist for Currier & Ives, and his prints were extremely popular with a wide distribution. James Baillie spent his later years concentrating on painting instead of lithography.
This hand colored memorial print depicts two gentlemen standing on each side of a tombstone. Behind the monument is a weeping willow tree and a white rosebush. The monument is inscribed "To the memory of {blank}” and contains the comforting words of Psalm 91:2 and Psalm 49:15, which profess a belief in the resurrection and salvation of the faithful. On the monument are the words: I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge, my God, in him will I trust. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me." Memorial prints depicting gave monuments were common during the antebellum or Victorian period and the Kellogg family produced several similar prints.
This print was produced by the lithographic firm E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. Edmund Burke Kellogg (1809-1872) and Elijah Chapman Kellogg (1811-1881) were brothers of the founder of the Kellogg lithography firm, Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874). After D.W. Kellogg moved west, his two brothers took over the family lithography firm in 1840 and changed the name to E.B. & E.C. Kellogg. The younger two of the four Kellogg brothers, they were responsible for the continued success of the family firm. These two brothers were also involved in the eventual partnerships between the company and Horace Thayer in 1845 or 1846, John Chenevard Comstock (1818-1862) in 1848 and William Henry Bulkeley (1840-1902) in 1867.
This colored print is an outdoor scene of a young man in tattered clothing on his knee asking forgiveness from his father. The father is weeping tears of joy at his return. Behind them a small band plays while a dozen people dance in celebration. The setting is the courtyard of a grand white country mansion.
The parable of the Prodigal Son or the Lost Son is among the best- known Christian morality tales and is found in Luke 15:11-32. The youngest of the two sons demands his share of his father’s estate which the father gives him. Shortly after, he runs off and squanders the wealth “in wild living.” Finding himself destitute, he returns to his father, repents his ways, and begs to be allowed to serve as a hired servant. The father rejoices at the return of his son “who was lost and is found.” Meanwhile, the obedient, older son is angry and refuses to join the celebration. His father pleads with him to forgive and to understand his joy.
This print was produced by Henry R. Robinson, who was a caricaturist and lithographer in New York City. He was listed as a carver and gilder from 1833-34, as a caricaturist from 1836-43 and as a lithographer and print publisher from 1843-51. Henry Robinson was known for political prints that championed the causes of the Whig Party (which later merged with the Republican Party) and satirized the opposing Democratic Party. Historian Peter C. Welsh has called Henry Robinson the "Printmaker to the Whig Party."
This colored print depicts a teacher named John Pounds repairing a shoe and listening to a boy standing next to him reading aloud from a book. Many other children line the schoolroom. Bird cages, shoe forms, books, shoes, boots, and a stack of slates decorate the wall. Two birds sit on the shelf and a cat stands by Pounds' feet. John Pounds (1766-1839) taught impoverished children in Portsmouth, England. His innovative teaching methods and philanthropic aims have been celebrated in publications, paintings, and memorials in his honor.
This print was created by William Sharp (artist) and produced by the lithographic firm of Bouve and Sharp. William Sharp (1803-1875) was an English-born lithographer and painter who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts around 1839-1840. He was credited with introducing chromolithography to America after his arrival. Sharp worked with the lithographer Francis Michelin (1809/10-1878) and with lithographer and engraver Ephraim Bouve (1817-1897) from 1843-44. He established his own business in New York in 1844. Ephraim W. Bouve (1817-1897) was a lithographer and engraver. The firm of Bouve and Sharp produced city scenes, book illustrations and portraits.
This colored print depicts a male from infancy to old age in decade-long spans, which was a popular and recurring theme of genteel society during the 19th Century. The figures are shown on ascending steps up to age 50 and then descending, with age 100 being the lowest to the right. Each image portrays a well-dressed youth or man in appropriate attire for his position in society (i.e., gentleman, soldier, elder). Verses beneath each figure associate a depicted animal with that stage of life. In the lower center is a small vignette of three men drinking at a table while a young man and women walk away. The devil gestures between the two groups.
This print was produced by Frederick Gleason (1814-1896). a lithographer and publisher in Boston, Massachusetts. Born in September 1814 in Germany, Gleason moved to the United States in October 1836, and began his career as a bookbinder. He became a citizen in June 1840. He is best known for establishing the popular illustrated weekly Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion in 1851, modelled on the Illustrated London News. At the time an innovation in American publishing, it brought him considerable success. After the Pictorial, Gleason published Gleason's Literary Companion from 1860–70; Gleason's Home Circle from 1871–90; and Gleason's Monthly Companion from 1872–87. He was married a second time after his first wife died, and he died November 6, 1896 in Boston.
This black and white print is a three-quarter length portrait of Gus Williams wearing a dress coat and hat and carrying a walking stick. Beneath the portrait are the words “American Star Comique.” The left side of the poster appears to have been cut off. A portion of the title (the letter "S") and the edge of another image are still visible. The Opera House performance dates are advertised on an affixed datebill that is pasted on the bottom margin. A torn fragment of a small oval portrait of Williams is affixed to the upper right corner.
Gus Williams (1848-1915) was an American comedian and songwriter. He was born Gustave Wilhelm Leweck, Jr., in New York City, the son of a German American furrier. Leweck set out for the American West in his early teens but got only as far as Indiana, where he went to work as a farmhand. In 1862, Leweck joined Union troops fighting the Civil War as part of the 48th Indiana Infantry. He apparently got his start as an entertainer putting on shows as a drummer boy for his fellow soldiers. He first appeared on stage in 1864 during the Union Army’s occupation of Huntsville, Alabama, where he performed in The Pirate’s Legacy: The Wrecker’s Fate by Charles H. Saunders. After the war, Leweck toured with Tony Pastor's vaudeville group and became known for singing and performing comic skits with a German accent. He appeared in a number of German farce comedies, including Our German Senator and One of the Finest . He was known for writing his own songs, both comic and sentimental. In 1885 Leweck took the stage name Gus Williams. He also worked to secure better wages for vaudeville performers and was said to have been the first to earn 500 dollars a week for doing stage monologues. Williams committed suicide in his sixties, possibly because of health concerns and his declining career.
This lithograph was produced by Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company. The Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company was founded by William H. Forbes (ca 1836-1915), who immigrated to the United States from Liverpool, England in 1848. Forbes became an apprentice in the lithography business while still a boy and established William H. Forbes and Company in Boston in 1861. The firm expanded to become Forbes Lithograph Manufacturing Company in 1875 with hundreds of employees and offices in Boston, New York, Chicago, and London. During World War II, the company became a major printer of allied military currency but went out of business later in the 20th Century.