19th Century Portrait Prints

"Mazziere" of the Pontifical Chapel is an Artwork realized in 1827 by the Engraver, Giuseppe Capparoni (Rome 1800- 1879). Etching hand colored on ivory paper. Signed on plate on the...

Original Harper's July vintage poster; The German Struggle for Liberty. Original turn of the century lithograph by Edward Penfield. Size: 14 1/8" x 21 18" Penfield created this poster to publicize Bigelow’s lengthy history of the Germanic people, serialized in the Monthly as “the first popular interpretation ever given to the rehabilitation of Germany through the uprising of the German people against the Napoleanic invasion.” July’s number began the series, which was published by Harper and Brothers as a two-volume set in 1896. Harper's June 1895 HARPER’S The German Struggle for Liberty JULY [Poster for Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, Jul 1895]. German soldier at the guardhouse. Four-color lithograph: grey, blue, yellow, and red. New York: Harper & Brothers, published Jun 1895. The magazine Harper's, issue of July, confronts the problems of The German Struggle for Liberty. Shown a German soldier in a helmet and armed with a rifle stands tall, and yet an uneasiness appears on his face. At a closer look, one will notice that not only does the soldier grasp his rifle in support, but in despair. This Harper's July is an Original Vintage Poster; it is not a reproduction. This poster is conservation mounted, linen backed. An restored fold mark across the middle of the image keeps this image from being rated higher (for an original 1895 poster).

Characters is a Drawing in pen realized by the artist Willette (Adolphe Léon). Signature on the lower right margin. Adolphe Léon Willette (30 July 1857, Châlons-sur-Marne – 4 Febru...

This is an original 19th century hand-colored McKenney and Hall lithograph of a Native American entitled "Tah-Col-O-Quoit", lithographed b...

'Frances Sargent Osgood' Steel-engraving after the painting by Chappel. 1872. Facsimile signature below the image. Frances Sargent Osgood (1811-1850) was an American poet and one of the most popular women writers during her time and was also famous for her exchange of romantic poems with Edgar Allan Poe. Alonzo Chappel...

Lithograph realized in 1970s, after the original work by Toulouse-Lautrec of 1896. Limited edition of 1000. Excellent condition.

Portrait is an original artwork realized by Paton Thomson (1750 - 1821 ca.). Original Etching from J.C. Lavater's "Essays on Physiognomy, Designed to promote the Knowledge and the L...

The Meeting is an original lithographs by J.J. Grandville from "Scènes de la vie privée et publique des animaux, 1852. Published by Manesq & Harvard, Paris. Good Conditions but age...

The Consistorial Lawyers is an Artwork realized in 1828 by the Engraver, Giuseppe Capparoni (Rome 1800- 1879). Etching hand colored on ivory paper. Signed on plate and dated on the ...

The Portrait is an original etching artwork realized by Thomas Trotter for Johann Caspar Lavater's "Essays on Physiognomy, Designed to Promote the Knowledge and the Love of Mankind",...

An original 19th century hand-colored folio-size McKenney and Hall lithograph of a Native American entitled "Nah-Et-Luc-Hopie", created by...

Original Gone with the Wind “Vom Winde Verweht” vintage lithograph poster. Original vintage movie poster with professional acid-free linen backing; excellent condition; ready to frame. This is the German 1962 release of Gone with the Wind, printed in the full lithographic style of the old French posters. Unique imagery of the famous scene of the burning of Atlanta. Starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland...

Copper-line engraving by Jacobus Houbraken (1698-1780) after Holbein. Houbraken was a Dutch engraver famous for his series of portraits of famous English historical figures with elaborate cartouches. Originally published 1739, this impression c1820. 360mm by 230mm (platemark) Sir Thomas Smythe...

Armenian Merchant is a lithograph made by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork is the original title "Marchand Armenien". The work i...

French stipple engraving portraying a stately emperor figure, circa 1830. Original artwork on paper displayed on a white mat with a gold border. Mat fits a standard-size frame. Ar...

Self Portrait is an original artwork realized by Eliseo Fattorini in the second half of the XIX Century. Etching on paper. Hand-signed by the artist on the lower right corner. Orig...

Cavalier is an original hand-colored lithograph on paper realized by an Anonymous artist of the XIX century, it represents a cavalier in his particular costume with shield through ha...

Etching realized by Henri Lefart in the early 20th Century. Hand signed in pencil lower right. Trimmed, in good condition.

Femme couchée - Réveilis a color lithograph realized after Henri de Toulouse Lautrec in 1896.  cm. 58 x 45,5; matted. This specimen belongs to an edition of 1900 ca., whose dimensi...

This lithograph is from my private collection. It is artist pencil signed and numbered. It is in very good condition.

Muff, a favorite Retriever is an artwork, realized by the artist Joseph Banks in 1837. Colored etching, titled and signed in the plate. Beautiful engraving with contemporary colour...

Beautiful print in black bister on verge, in excellent conditions, signed by the artist in pencil. Three very small traces of glue on margin of sheet on verso. Full margins. Ref. Cat...

Chartreux Jouant du Violoncelle is a black and White etching realized by Edouard Moyse in the Late 19th Century.  Titled in the lower Image Size: 32x23 Very good impression. Real...

Guerrier de L'ile Sawoe is a hand colored lithographs realized by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Good condition. The artwork belongs to the Suite Moeurs, usages et costumes de tous les pe...

La Cardeuse (Woman Carding Wool). c. 1858. Etching. Delteil, Melot 15. only state. 10 x 7 (sheet 12 3/8 x 9 1/2). Illustrated: Print Collector's Quarterly 25 (1938): 146; Keppel, The...

William James Smith is an engraving on ivory-colored paper realized by Charles Amand Durand (1831-1905) after an etching by Rembrandt. This wonderful piece of art belongs to a late e...

Raphael Sanzio da Urbino, After by Alphonse Leroy, Italian (1483 - 1520) - Portrait of a Young Man, Year: circa 1858, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 10.75 x 8.5 inches, Size: 22 x ...

The present hand-colored lithograph is an excellent example of patriotic mid-nineteenth century American imagery. The print shows the battle and several of the major figures involved in the Battle of Lake Erie: At the center is a view of several frigates on the lake, embroiled in conflict. Above the battle is the quotation: "We have met the enemy and they are ours." Surrounding are laurel-lined roundels with portraits of Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819), Stephen Dicateur (1779-1820), Johnston Blakeley (1871-1814), William Bainbridge (1774-1833), David Porter (1780-1843), and James Lawrence (1781-1813) - all of these framed by American flags, banners and cannons. This print shows that the Battle of Lake Erie, part of the War of 1812, still held resonance for American audiences several decades later and was part of the larger narrative of the founding of the country. 9.5 x 13.5 inches, artwork 20 x 23.38 inches, frame Entitled in the image Signed in the stone, lower left "Lith. and Pub. by N. Currier" Inscribed lower right "2 Spruce N.Y." and "No. 1" Copyrighted lower center "Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1846 by N. Currier in the Clerk's office of the Southern District of N.Y." Framed to conservation standards using 100 percent rag matting and housed in a gold gilded moulding. Nathaniel Currier was a tall introspective man with a melancholy nature. He could captivate people with his piercing stare or charm them with his sparkling blue eyes. Nathaniel was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts on March 27th, 1813, the second of four children. His parents, Nathaniel and Hannah Currier, were distant cousins who lived a humble yet spartan life. When Nathaniel was eight years old, tragedy struck. Nathaniel’s father unexpectedly passed away leaving Nathaniel and his eleven-year-old brother Lorenzo to provide for the family. In addition to their mother, Nathaniel and Lorenzo had to care for six-year-old sister Elizabeth and two-year-old brother Charles. Nathaniel worked a series of odd jobs to support the family, and at fifteen, he started what would become a life-long career when he apprenticed in the Boston lithography shop of William and John Pendleton. A Bavarian gentleman named Alois Senefelder invented lithography just 30 years prior to young Nat Currier’s apprenticeship. While under the employ of the brothers Pendleton, Nat was taught the art of lithography by the firm’s chief printer, a French national named Dubois, who brought the lithography trade to America. Lithography involves grinding a piece of limestone flat and smooth then drawing in mirror image on the stone with a special grease pencil. After the image is completed, the stone is etched with a solution of aqua fortis leaving the greased areas in slight relief. Water is then used to wet the stone and greased-ink is rolled onto the raised areas. Since grease and water do not mix, the greased-ink is repelled by the moisture on the stone and clings to the original grease pencil lines. The stone is then placed in a press and used as a printing block to impart black on white images to paper. In 1833, now twenty-years old and an accomplished lithographer, Nat Currier left Boston and moved to Philadelphia to do contract work for M.E.D. Brown, a noted engraver and printer. With the promise of good money, Currier hired on to help Brown prepare lithographic stones of scientific images for the American Journal of Sciences and Arts. When Nat completed the contract work in 1834, he traveled to New York City to work once again for his mentor John Pendleton, who was now operating his own shop located at 137 Broadway. Soon after the reunion, Pendleton expressed an interest in returning to Boston and offered to sell his print shop to Currier. Young Nat did not have the financial resources to buy the shop, but being the resourceful type he found another local printer by the name of Stodart. Together they bought Pendleton’s business. The firm ‘Currier & Stodart’ specialized in "job" printing. They produced many different types of printed items, most notably music manuscripts for local publishers. By 1835, Stodart was frustrated that the business was not making enough money and he ended the partnership, taking his investment with him. With little more than some lithographic stones, and a talent for his trade, twenty-two year old Nat Currier set up shop in a temporary office at 1 Wall Street in New York City. He named his new enterprise ‘N. Currier, Lithographer’ Nathaniel continued as a job printer and duplicated everything from music sheets to architectural plans. He experimented with portraits, disaster scenes and memorial prints, and any thing that he could sell to the public from tables in front of his shop. During 1835 he produced a disaster print Ruins of the Planter's Hotel, New Orleans, which fell at two O’clock on the Morning of the 15th of May 1835, burying 50 persons, 40 of whom Escaped with their Lives. The public had a thirst for newsworthy events, and newspapers of the day did not include pictures. By producing this print, Nat gave the public a new way to “see” the news. The print sold reasonably well, an important fact that was not lost on Currier. Nat met and married Eliza Farnsworth in 1840. He also produced a print that same year titled Awful Conflagration of the Steamboat Lexington in Long Island Sound on Monday Evening, January 18, 1840, by which melancholy occurrence over One Hundred Persons Perished. This print sold out very quickly, and Currier was approached by an enterprising publication who contracted him to print a single sheet addition of their paper, the New York Sun. This single page paper is presumed to be the first illustrated newspaper ever published. The success of the Lexington print launched his career nationally and put him in a position to finally lift his family up. In 1841, Nat and Eliza had their first child, a son they named Edward West Currier. That same year Nat hired his twenty-one year old brother Charles and taught him the lithography trade, he also hired his artistically inclined brother Lorenzo to travel out west and make sketches of the new frontier as material for future prints. Charles worked for the firm on and off over the years, and invented a new type of lithographic crayon which he patented and named the Crayola. Lorenzo continued selling sketches to Nat for the next few years. In 1843, Nat and Eliza had a daughter, Eliza West Currier, but tragedy struck in early 1847 when their young daughter died from a prolonged illness. Nat and Eliza were grief stricken, and Eliza, driven by despair, gave up on life and passed away just four months after her daughter’s death. The subject of Nat Currier’s artwork changed following the death of his wife and daughter, and he produced many memorial prints and sentimental prints during the late 1840s. The memorial prints generally depicted grief stricken families posed by gravestones (the stones were left blank so the purchasers could fill in the names of the dearly departed). The sentimental prints usually depicted idealized portraits of women and children, titled with popular Christian names of the day. Late in 1847, Nat Currier married Lura Ormsbee, a friend of the family. Lura was a self-sufficient woman, and she immediately set out to help Nat raise six-year-old Edward and get their house in order. In 1849, Lura delivered a son, Walter Black Currier, but fate dealt them a blow when young Walter died one year later. While Nat and Lura were grieving the loss of their new son, word came from San Francisco that Nat’s brother Lorenzo had also passed away from a brief illness. Nat sank deeper into his natural quiet melancholy. Friends stopped by to console the couple, and Lura began to set an extra place at their table for these unexpected guests. She continued this tradition throughout their lives. In 1852, Charles introduced a friend, James Merritt Ives, to Nat and suggested he hire him as a bookkeeper. Jim Ives was a native New Yorker born in 1824 and raised on the grounds of Bellevue Hospital where his father was employed as superintendent. Jim was a self-trained artist and professional bookkeeper. He was also a plump and jovial man, presenting the exact opposite image of his new boss. Jim Ives met Charles Currier through Caroline Clark, the object of Jim’s affection. Caroline’s sister Elizabeth was married to Charles, and Caroline was a close friend of the Currier family. Jim eventually proposed marriage to Caroline and solicited an introduction to Nat Currier, through Charles, in hopes of securing a more stable income to support his future wife. Ives quickly set out to improve and modernize his new employer’s bookkeeping methods. He reorganized the firm’s sizable inventory, and used his artistic skills to streamline the firm’s production methods. By 1857, Nathaniel had become so dependent on Jims’ skills and initiative that he offered him a full partnership in the firm and appointed him general manager. The two men chose the name ‘Currier & Ives’ for the new partnership, and became close friends. Currier & Ives produced their prints in a building at 33 Spruce Street where they occupied the third, fourth and fifth floors. The third floor was devoted to the hand operated printing presses that were built by Nat's cousin, Cyrus Currier, at his shop Cyrus Currier & Sons in Newark, NJ. The fourth floor found the artists, lithographers and the stone grinders at work. The fifth floor housed the coloring department, and was one of the earliest production lines in the country. The colorists were generally immigrant girls, mostly German, who came to America with some formal artistic training. Each colorist was responsible for adding a single color to a print. As a colorist finished applying their color, the print was passed down the line to the next colorist to add their color. The colorists worked from a master print displayed above their table, which showed where the proper colors were to be placed. At the end of the table was a touch up artist who checked the prints for quality, touching-in areas that may have been missed as it passed down the line. During the Civil War, demand for prints became so great that coloring stencils were developed to speed up production. Although most Currier & Ives prints were colored in house, some were sent out to contract artists. The rate Currier & Ives paid these artists for coloring work was one dollar per one hundred small folios (a penny a print) and one dollar per one dozen large folios. Currier & Ives also offered uncolored prints to dealers, with instructions (included on the price list) on how to 'prepare the prints for coloring.' In addition, schools could order uncolored prints from the firm’s catalogue to use in their painting classes. Nathaniel Currier and James Merritt Ives attracted a wide circle of friends during their years in business. Some of their more famous acquaintances included Horace Greeley, Phineas T. Barnum, and the outspoken abolitionists Rev. Henry Ward, and John Greenleaf Whittier (the latter being a cousin of Mr. Currier). Nat Currier and Jim Ives described their business as "Publishers of Cheap and Popular Pictures" and produced many categories of prints. These included Disaster Scenes, Sentimental Images, Sports, Humor, Hunting Scenes, Politics, Religion, City and Rural Scenes, Trains, Ships, Fire Fighters, Famous Race Horses, Historical Portraits, and just about any other topic that satisfied the general public's taste. In all, the firm produced in excess of 7500 different titles, totaling over one million prints produced from 1835 to 1907. Nat Currier retired in 1880, and signed over his share of the firm to his son Edward. Nat died eight years later at his summer home 'Lion’s Gate' in Amesbury, Massachusetts. Jim Ives remained active in the firm until his death in 1895, when his share of the firm passed to his eldest son, Chauncey. In 1902, faced will failing health from the ravages of Tuberculosis, Edward Currier sold his share of the firm to Chauncey Ives...

Charming original drypoint on ivorycoloured plate realized by Giuseppe De Nittis between 1870 and 1880. Signed on plate lower left margin, not numbered and in perfect conditions. Inc...

Beautiful print on verge crème, 2° state on 3, with letters printed in red. Stamp “Lugt 1545”. Little crack and fold on lower left margin of the sheet. Some small traces of oxidati...

'Eliza Cook' Steel-engraving after a photograph by John Watkins, 1872. Facsimile signature below the image. Eliza Cook (1818 - 1889) was an English author, Chartist poet and writer...

'Rhinology' Vanity Fair portrait of Dr Robert Spicer, 'a specialist in matters relating to ears, noses and throats'. Accompanied by original descriptive text. 380mm by 260mm (sh...

"Caudatario" in the Chapel is an Artwork realized in 1827 by the Engraver, Giuseppe Capparoni (Rome 1800- 1879). Etching hand colored on ivory paper. Signed on plate and dated on th...

Beggar and Peasants is an engraving on ivory-colored paper realized by Charles Amand Durand (1831-1905) after an etching by Rembrandt. This wonderful piece of art belongs to a late e...

The Conservator in the Chapels is an Artwork realized in 1827 by the Engraver, Giuseppe Capparoni (Rome 1800- 1879). Etching hand colored on ivory paper. Signed on plate and dated o...

'Popular Astronomy' Vanity Fair portrait of Irish astronomer Sir Robert Stawell Ball (1840-1913). In 1867 he became Professor of Applied Mathema...

'Kismet' Vanity Fair portrait of Mr Oscar Asche (1871 -1936) who was an Australian actor, director and writer, best known for the record-breakin...

'a sculptor' Vanity Fair portrait of Lord Ronald Charles Sutherland-Leveson-Gower. He was a connoisseur and collector. He practised as a sculpto...

Artist: Utagawa Kunisada "Toyokuni the Third" (Japanese 1786 - 1864) Page Size: 14 x 9.5 in. Frame Size: 21 x 16.25 Translation of Calligraphic Japanese Text: 大星由良之助 Ōboshi Yuranosu...

Customs of the Merovingian kings in France in the 5th and 6th centuries is a lithograph made by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork ...

Lithograph realized in 1970s, after the original work by Toulouse-Lautrec of 1896. Limited edition of 1000. Excellent condition.

"Uditore di Rota con Croce Papale" is an Artwork realized in 1827 by the Engraver, Giuseppe Capparoni (Rome 1800- 1879). Etching hand colored on ivory paper. Signed on plate and dat...

'on 1 China station' Vanity Fair portrait of Admiral Sir Edmund Robert Fremantle GCB CMG (1836 –1929). 400mm by 270mm (sheet)

Lithograph realized in 1970s, after the original work by Toulouse-Lautrec of 1896. Limited edition of 1000. Excellent condition.

Ancient Warriors of Germany is a lithograph made by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork is the original title "Ancient Warriors of G...

Il Ressemble à Ernest is an Original Etching and Drypoint realized by Willette (Adolphe Leon). Good condition on a yellowed paper. signed on plate on the lower left corner and titl...

Salomé is an original etching on paper realized by Thomas Holloway After H. Fussli in 1810. Good Conditions. The Artwork is Depicted through strong strokes in a well-balanced compo...

Ancient African Customs is a lithograph realized by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork is the original title "Africa" and subtitle ...

Karian is a lithograph made by Auguste Wahlen in 1844. Hand colored. Good condition. At the center of the artwork is the original title "Karian". The work is part of Suite Moeurs...

Lithograph realized in 1970s, after the original work by Toulouse-Lautrec of 1896. Limited edition of 1000. Excellent condition.

Femme sur le Dos - Lassitude is a color lithograph realized by Henri de Toulouse Lautrec in 1896.  cm. 58 x 45, matted.  Monogrammed on plate. Good conditions. This specimen belo...

" Sacred to the Memory of the Illustrious Champion of Liberty General George Washington First President of the United States of America" engraved and published by John Donlevy . The artist lists himself as an "intaglio-chromographic and Electrographic Engraver". This is a fine example of American calligraphic and stipple engraving. The face of the portrait is based on Stuart's " Antheaeum " painting surrounded by swirls and elaborate calligraphic design typical of this artist. This is the second state, according to Charles Hart's "Catalogue of the Engraved Portraits of Washington...

Auguste Rodin, French (1840 - 1917) - Antonin Proust (State Seven), Year: 1884-1888, Medium: Etching, Image Size: 6.75 x 4.25 inches, Size: 10.25 x 8 in. (26.04 x 20.32 cm), Referen...

The Lips - The Physiognomy is an original etching artwork realized by Thomas Holloway for Johann Caspar Lavater's "Essays on Physiognomy, Designed to Promote the Knowledge and the Lo...

Auguste RODIN (after) Mask of Minos, 1897 Etching enhanced with watercolor On vellum 42.5 x 31 cm (c. 16.7 x 12.2 inches) Edition limited to 125 copies, send with the certificate of...

Ecole de Peinture is a drawing in China Ink on paper realized by Adolphe Willette in the Late 19th Century . Good conditions. Hand-signed. The artwork is depicted through soft st...

The Profiles of Noblemen is an original etching artwork realized by Thomas Holloway for Johann Caspar Lavater's "Essays on Physiognomy, Designed to Promote the Knowledge and the Love...

This is an original 19th century hand-colored McKenney and Hall lithograph of a Native American entitled "Wa-Kawn, A Winnebago Chief, No. 83 (The Snake)", published by Rice, Rutter &...

The Cardinal wearing the cape is an Artwork realized in 1827 by the Engraver, Giuseppe Capparoni (Rome 1800- 1879). Etching hand colored on ivory paper. Signed on plate and dated on...

Original CACAO VAN HOUTEN, LE Meilleur Chocolat a consommer liquide. Hot chocolate turn of the century antique vintage poster, unsigned. Pr...