Past/Present: Astronomy

Today our  P/P post features two sky-gazing prints. Our print from the past is of astronomers observing the Transit of Venus on December 6, 1882, an event where the planet Venus passes between the Sun and the Earth, slightly obscuring the solar disk. Transits of Venus are among the rarest of predictable astronomical phenomena. They occur in a pattern that repeats every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart separated by long gaps of 121 years and 105 years. The periodicity is a reflection of the fact Earth and Venus arrive at almost the same configuration after 8 Earth orbits and 13 Venus orbits. The mismatch after 8 years is only 1.5° off Venus’ orbital movement. Still, this is enough that Venus and Earth find themselves in the opposite relative orientation to the original every 120 such cycles.

A transit of Venus took place on June 8, 2004 and the next will be on June 6 of this year. The previous pair of transits was in December 1874 and December 1882. After 2012, the next transits of Venus will be in December 2117 and December 2125.  Aside from its rarity, the original scientific interest in observing a transit of Venus was that it could be used to determine the distance from Earth to the sun, and from this, an estimation of size of the solar system can be made.

Our contemporary print is by NY printmaker Nicholas Vagenas, and highlights the complexity of our solar system- the vast amount that is still unknown, even to astronomers working with today’s modern methods of measure and observation.

Image on Left: Connecticut. The observations of the Transit of Venus by German Astronomers, Prof. Muller and Deichmuller, at Trinity College, Hartford, Dec. 6.) by C. Upham. Published by Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. Wood engraving, Dec.16, 1882.

Image on Right: Nothing is Certain by Nicholas Vagenas. Etching and aquatint, 2003.  Ed. 3/15.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Past/Present: Spring Break

Yesterday marked the beginning of spring, and with the pleasant weather, blooming flowers, and increasing numbers of tourist groups stopping by the gallery, we thought it only appropriate to do a spring break-themed Past/Present post. Our older print comes from Harper’s Weekly Illustrated Newspaper and one of the foremost 19th century American printmakers, Winslow Homer. It was published on  September 19, 1874 in Harper’s Weekly as a wood engraving. The featured contemporary print is by Evan Lindquist, a talented printmaker based in Arkansas. Lindquist taught art, drawing, and printmaking at Arkansas State University for forty years. His work is mostly burin engravings. This print comes from a whole series by Lindquist entitled Academe. 

Image on Left: Flirting on the Sea-Shore and on the Meadow by Winslow Homer. Published by Harper’s Weekly Illustrated Newspaper. Wood engraving, September 19, 1874.

Image on Right: Academe: Spring Break by Evan Lindquist. Engraving, 2005. Ed.50.

 

 

 

 

To view more prints by Winslow Homer, click here. To view more prints by Evan Lindquist, visit our website or his personal website.

 

Past/Present: Wall Street and Trinity Church

Today we have a new P/P post, featuring prints of Wall Street in New York. They both offer a view of Trinity Church. The historic church has been located at the intersection of Broadway and Wall Street in lower Manhattan for centuries. The first incarnation of the church, originally built in 1698, burned down in a fire in the American Revolution. The second Trinity Church was built in 1790 and torn down in 1839, due to structural damage after snow and ice storms. The third Trinity Church was completed in 1846, and at the time of its completion, its spire was the highest point in New York.

Image on Left: Wall Street, New York. by William B. Austin. Published in Harper’s Weekly, June 23. 1866. Wood engraving hand-colored, 1866.

Image on Right: Wall Street by Charles F. Mielatz. Etching, 1889. This was the presentation print of the Iconophile Society in 1889.

Thomas Nast and the Image of Santa Claus

Here We Are Again! by Thomas Nast. Wood engraving, 1878.

With Christmas quickly approaching, it seems only fitting to feature images of the holiday season. At the center of Christmas imagery is, of course, Santa Claus, and the man who popularized and cemented his image as a rounded, bearded jolly man- Thomas Nast.

Nast, a German immigrant who moved with his family to New York as a child, began his career as an illustrator for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. His career blossomed once he was hired by Harper’s Weekly in 1859, and he went on to be a war correspondent and journalistic crusader. A talented illustrator, his political depictions of republicans as elephants and democrats as donkeys are still in use today. At the peak of Nast’s career, he took on anyone he disagreed with- the Ku Klux Klan, dishonest politicians, and anarchists. His biting political cartoons were responsible for bringing down the notorious politician “Boss” William Marcy Tweed of Tammany Hall, whose crime ring financially depleted New York City after the Civil War.

Despite the political and serious leanings of Nast’s illustrations, he was also exceptionally talented at capturing the essence of goodwill towards men. His family and holiday scenes reflect a more personal side of Nast, and many included depictions of his own children, or are set in his home of Morristown, New Jersey.

Santa Claus in Camp by Thomas Nast. Wood engraving, 1863.

Thomas Nast first drew Santa Claus in Harper’s Weekly 1863 Christmas edition, with a cover and centerfold illustration. The Civil War was underway; the Union’s losses and the separation between soldiers and families were dampening the spirits of the Northern cities. The cover, “Santa Claus at Camp” depicted Santa Claus visiting soldiers in the camp with gifts and letters. From 1863 until 1886, Nast created a series of Christmas drawings for Harper’s Weekly. These drawings, executed over twenty years, exhibit a gradual evolution in Santa from the pudgy, diminutive, elf-like creature to the bearded, portly gift-giver of today.

Nast drew inspiration from his native German Saint Nicholas, a fourth century bishop, known for his kindness and generosity. He also pulled from other German folk traditions to add to the Santa Claus lore. The appearance of elves and a reindeer pulled sled are both products of Nast’s Germanic traditions. Nast solidified the image of Santa Clause for the American population. His illustrations created a rich and detail-driven story of Santa Clause- from the use of chimneys to deliver gifts, to the toy workshop in the North Pole. He invented the concept of the naughty-nice list, as well as the belief that Santa read letters from children.

Santa Claus and His Works by Thomas Nast. Wood engraving, 1866.

In 1889, friends from Harper’s Weekly encouraged Nast to gather his popular Christmas illustrations and publish them in one book- Christmas Drawings for the Human Race. Boasting 126 illustrations, the book is a beautiful chronicle of Nast’s holiday renderings.

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Political Cartoons

Here at the Old Print Gallery, we have quite a few political cartoons. From the  prolific artists, like Thomas Nast and Adalbert Johann Volck, to the lesser known cartoonists that graced the pages of Judge, Vanity Fair, and Punch, our collection is extensive. Not only are they great pieces of Americana- collectable and prized among many- but they also immortalize public opinion and sentiment. Below is a (very small) sampling of political cartoons we carry. Enjoy!

Little Mac Trying to Dig His Way to the White House But Is Frightened by Spiritual Manifestations. Lithograph by an anonymous artist. Published c.1864. This political caricature is from the Presidential campaign of 1864, in which Gen. George McClellan ran as the Democratic nominee against Abraham Lincoln. Here Lady Liberty keeps McClellan away from the White House, calling him unworthy for allowing too many Union deaths.

The Last Ditch of the Chivalry, or President in Petticoats. Lithograph by Currier and Ives. Published in 1865. This Civil War caricature capitalizes on the widespread though unfounded rumor that Jefferson Davis tried to evade capture by Union soldiers by dressing as a woman. Shouts one soldier, "It's no use trying that shift, Jeff, we see your boots."

The Tammany Tiger Loose: What Are You Going To Do About It? Wood engraving by Thomas Nast. Published in Harper's Weekly on November 11, 1881. The most famous effort of America's greatest political cartoonist, and the one which provoked Boss Tweed's complaint that while his constitutents could not read, they could surely understand Nast's pictures. Tweed appears in the stands holding an "iron rod" below a banner reading "Tammany Spoils." In the arena, the Tammany Tiger savages Columbia; a smashed ballot box lies besider her.

President Arthur Hit Him Again: Don't Let the Vulture Be Our National Bird. Pen and Ink on paper by Thomas Nast. Published as an engraving in Harper's Weekly on August 12, 1882. This Thomas Nast caricature illustrates a fight between President Chester A. Arthur and the United States Congress. He had originally proposed a bill to improve international commerce on the waterways. The bill that passed in both the House and Senate was so laden with pork-barrel and special interest issues that over 14 million of the 18,700,000 dollars would not be used to improve international commerce. Chester A. Arthur vetoed the bill on August 1.

Fifty Cents- Shin Plaster. Lithography by Henry R. Robinson. Published in 1837. This print comically deals with the limited-currency policies of presidents Jackson and Van Buren. This image shows Andrew Jackson riding a pig with the quote “By the Eternal!! I’ll have it, Benton!” Behind him is Senator Thomas Hart Benton riding a jackass and holding a quill with “Expunger” written on it and quoting “Go it thou Roman!! a greater man ne’er lived in the tide of times.!!” Both men are chasing a “Gold Humbug” over the edge of a cliff towards the U.S. Bank (headed by Nicholas Biddle.) Martin Van Buren is shown behind them, loosing his crown and riding a fox taking a safer route towards the bank. His quote is, “Although I follow in the footsteps of Jackson it is expedient at this time to deviate a little!!” Below the main image is an endorsement by the publisher, who promises “to pay Thomas H. Benton, or bearer, Fifty Cents, in Counterfeit Caricatures at my store . . . ” It is dated May 10, 1837, the date of the New York banks’ emergency suspension of specie payments. The print also refers to the poorly secured, illegal currency known as shin plasters.