This is the first selection of a folder found in the antique desk made by my husband's great grandfather Ernst. The folder contains the clipped and torn pages of  various printer style pieces, used to show the kind of a work a printer could do. The collection probably belonged to my husband's grandfather Walter, who would have been a child when the desk was made. His collection has an ample number of women's pictures, flowers, ships at sea, landscapes, Indians, and all sorts of characters. Some of these pieces are from the Inland Printer. The Inland Printer was a magazine begun about 1883. It continues today as American Printer. You can read more about it here:

 http://americanprinter.com/about/

 From my work, the post: Secrets of an Antique Desk : November 2010

About 25 years ago an unassuming piece of family history migrated into my husband's possession. Probably more by default than by gift. When we married,  we lived in a home that we purchased but had been my husband's  Uncle Harold's. In the basement was a kind of drop top desk with a bevel glass door to a side bookcase. It was in oak, a warm light oak that my husband favored. It had some of it's hardware removed, and seemed to be in the stages of being re-finished by the time we came to have it. He respected it greatly as one would any piece of handicraft of a now deceased relative. His uncle had owned it, but his great grandfather, Ernst, a cabinet maker had made it. He was a cabinet maker in Chicago and built items for the Potter Palmer mansion among other homes. He was a very fine craftsman and this desk was built by him. 

J C Leyenuecker Copyright 1902, by Grace Duffle Boylan." The Kiss of Glory" Frontpiece Illustration Dill & Collins Co. Philadelphia, Pa.

~

I found this a dramatic piece, but confusing to look at with the gentleman's leg out to the left.  It looked frightfully big to be her sandal, on closer inspection, I figured it out....

 Member Of The Feud.  Copyright, 1901, by N. Brock, Photo by Brock, Asheville, N.C.

~

Apparently the feuds were real enough for even a woman to carry a gun. I suspect we would liken it to some gangs of today. 

 The Model's Rest Copyright, 1903, by N. Brock  Assigned to the Inland Print Co.

~

I thought this was an interesting position to chose for a rest. 

 Posing For The Life Class from Pen Sketch by Ella Modrakowska, Philadelphia, Pa.

~

I liked this piece very much. I liked the modesty of the rendering. 

 The Lady And The Rose    Copyright 1903, by N. Brock, assigned to the Inland Printer Co. 

~

This piece was obviously an attempt at some beauty comparison, and while it was done in a respectful way, to me it does appear stilted. 

 "On The Log" Copyright, 1903, St. Louis Art Negative Co. ~ Copyright Assigned, 1903, to the Inland Printer Co.

~

You cannot tell here but that is a photograph of the boys with a fake background. I liked this because of the placement in the shape of a connected triangle and the fact that they appear to be three races. I thought it was highly symbolic for the time. 

  The Morning Dip, Photo by Aune, Portland, Ore.

~

This was just too cute. Notice the fanny. 

 Elaine, Copyright 1903, by N. Brock, Assigned to The Inland Printer Co.

~

I think this is the same woman with the rose, notice the similar dress and hair. Certainly a more natural pose but still a little stiff from the neck down. Almost like her hands must be tied behind her back. 

 Study in Chalk by F.S. Manning, Copyright 1903 The Inland Printer Company "Parian" Dull Finish Coated Book Paper by the Champion Coated Paper Company, Hamilton Ohio

~

I was personally fascinated with the Gibson girl look and often sketched them as a child and even have a piece hanging that I did in the past. I also love chalk, although I no longer seem to enjoy the mess of it while creating. 

 Harris Rotary Press

~

I liked this because it seems almost like a modern wedding dress to me, the popular mermaid style, if you ever watched that show about Kleinfeld's Bridal in New York, Say Yes to the Dress, you know what I mean. 

 "Tokimatsu" The Most Beautiful Geisha Girl of Japan

This Paper Made by The Champion Coated Paper Co., Hamilton, Ohio Color Plates and Printing by The United States Colortype Co. Printed with Photo Chromic Colors Manufactured by the Ault &Wiborg Company, Cincinnati, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Toronto, London

~

Well, no offense, but beauty if most certainly in the eye of the beholder. There was something odd about the way her teeth looked, although you cannot notice here as much as I see it when looking at the print sample. I did love the color, and her pose. She looked happy. 

The Critic 

 Reproduction of a lithograph which appeared not long since in Press and Paper, Tokio, Japan. The original probably required 10 or 12 printings, including the gold. This reprodution is in four printings, yellow, red, blue and black, and could have been successfully worked in three printings but for the fact that it was considered that the lettering could be brout out to better advantage by running the extra color. Notice the accuracy of the three-colored production of solid gold background around placard on the wall. Printed by the Henry O. Shepard Co., Printers of the Inland Printer, Chicago, U.S.A.

~

I loved this! It got me on the title alone and believe me, if all our critics were as cute as this monkey, well, I at least would be fairly entertained! He is a cutie!!!!

**** 

It is fascinating to look up these old companies and discover bits and pieces about them, namely confirming the time periods of these illustrations. You could spend, at the very least, a few weeks looking into each and everyone of these and I have many. In the upcoming months, I will periodically share more with you here. I may also write some pieces around the illustrations, making them a point of inspiration.  

I scanned all of these pieces myself. Some are from defunct companies, or companies that have evolved into different companies several times since these were printed.  

Copyright 2011 by SheilaTGTG55