Animal kingdom

During a lunch last month, my friend Cecie Chewning casually handed me a small packet of engravings that she had been given by her uncle. I didn't look at them until a few days later, and when I did, whoa! What a treasure.

They've been scanned them into the archive now, so it seemed time to share them. The pages are relatively small - 8.5" x 4.5" - and there are headings and table numbers on each, but no bibliographic information. Not even the engraver, whose name usually is at the bottom of a plate.

They are hand-painted, and exquisite, if a bit worn/foxed. I'm guessing circa early 1800s, and betting there were more in whatever book they're from, since fish, insects, etc. are absent from mine. Here's a look at what I have … they'll be turning up in collages.

Gulp. Looks like the scanning isn't done ...

Well, I took the plates that were scanned from Costumi dei Secoli to the studio to file them with the others. While flipping through the two volumes, I came across more plates at the back of one. Had they been scanned? I wasn't sure. As I rule, I write "scanned" on an image. These were unmarked.

I had a hard time believing I had overlooked that many of them, but it was possible since I had been carrying them back and forth for months. I brought the plates home, and began checking them against the digital files. Not there. So, another 50 plates to scan. I did all the women first, because I plan to use them in a new series. Here they are …

The Italian job

Whew. Finally wrapped up scanning every plate from Costumi die Secoli, a project begun, well, too long ago. I have plans for the beautifully hand-painted plates, which illustrate the clothing worn by professionals (lawyers, notaries, monks, soldiers), as well as royalty, celebs and others.

The two-volume book was published in Florence in 1837. Each plate is accompanied by historical and descriptive text, all of which was scanned, too. Both books are falling apart, with pages that are heavily foxed. Tissue covers each plate, but most of it also is foxed. Happily, the central images themselves are in good condition.

Most of the scans have been cleaned up, except for the title page, below, which I posted as is to show the true condition of the book. I came upon it at Significant Books, a quirky, used bookstore in my neighborhood that has closed. Sigh. Still miss popping in when walking to my studio. There were always surprises, and once the owners discovered what I do, they set aside material they thought would interest me.

In any case, here is a sampling of the plates …

  
View plates from the first post way back in 2012, and from the second post last spring.

Plenty of cool images but still no pope ...

Well, it's taken six months, but I'm back to scanning that cast of marvelous Italian characters into the digital archive. I started again when trying to be timely by posting an antique image of a pope. Still have not found one among the 88 hand-colored plates in the Costumi Dei Secoli. The book was published in Firenze (Florence) in 1837, so there is bound to be a pope somewhere.

I'll keep searching. Meanwhile, here's a look at who I did find ...

                                              

Sorting a garden of paper

                 

It is brrrrrr outside but spring has arrived inside the studio. I vowed that after the new year - and after the Pulp Art exhibit opened - it would be time to tackle the stacks of paper accumulated during the past six months or so.

Inevitably, sorting leads to scanning the images I can't bear to part with. These stunning early 19th century lithographs are hand-colored. Some are by well-known printers such as Day & Haghe, pioneers of lithography. Others are from classic magazines such as Curtis' Botanical Magazine and The Floriculture Cabinet.

If they were in mint condition, they'd be highly collectible, and I'd be matting them and selling them in the "Things I Can't Bear to Cut Up" bin. But you can't see it in the scans, because I cleaned them up a bit, these are less than perfect. So, they will go under the knife.

The plan is to use them to create a fantastical garden - maybe as part of The Grand Tour series. Meanwhile, I thought I'd share some favorites from the stash ...