Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson Bank Note Engravers, New York. Advertising Sample Sheet. 1850s. Choice Very Fine.Immense single plate impression, approximately 26" x 35". Printed on India Paper, likely mounted on card as was typical, though we have not seen this one out of the elegant modern but period-style wood and gilt frame. Total outside dimensions are 37.5" x 47.25". A few small spots are seen upon close inspection and there has been some expert restoration of a few small apparent separations in the paper. Neither condition is at all unusual for these large and fragile pieces. In fact, this one faces up beautifully, featuring relatively bright white paper in nice contrast to at least two of the others we are aware of. This is one of a very rare class of engravers sample sheets, as the typically seen sheets are in much smaller format and thus were much less ambitious undertakings by the firms that made them. We are aware of five different large-format sheet designs. Two bear the titles of Danforth, Bald & Co., and Danforth Wright, & Co., respectively. These are essentially identical designs other than the title change, but were printed as four panels and then assembled. We are aware of two examples from each title variant, though some are unassembled. Another of this four-panel style was by Rawdon, Wright, Hatch and Edson, though we have never seen it in print and know it only from having seen one of the four steel panels used to print it. We are aware of only one other large-format sheet printed from a single plate, and it is likewise known to us only by the steel plate itself, which we sold in our March 2007 (Stacks) sale. It bore the titles of Rawdon, Wright & Hatch, New York as well as Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, New Orleans. Of these five designs, we have only seen three in print. All are great rarities. The present sheet is a magnificent composition and a fine showcase of the engraving firms art. There are more then 200 individual engraved elements including portraits, historical scenes, coin vignettes and others, all elegantly arranged within and around a large urn-shaped cartouche. The urn is positioned atop a bank-note style advertising note bearing the titles of Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson, and New England Bank Note Company. A large medallion portrait of George Washington, after the famed Houdon Bust, is the central design element and decorates the side of the urns massive bowl. We are aware of five examples of this impressive sheet. We sold a rather deeply toned example in January 2011, and another resides in a private New England collection. Two were sold by R.M. Smythe & Co. One in 1995 and a second one in July 2006, a particularly clean example which brought $19,550. It was described as having "three patches of toning." The color of this one is most similar to the 2006 Smythe example and must be counted as one of the finest known survivors of this magnificent sheet. A superb display piece.
