Pencil Sketches of Colorado - photo 1
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Pencil Sketches of Colorado

Lot 56
16.06.2023 16:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 37 800
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 965102
Lot 56 | Pencil Sketches of Colorado
Estimate value
$ 30 000 – 50 000
Pencil Sketches of Colorado
Alfred Mathews, 1866
MATHEWS, Alfred E. (1831-1874). Pencil Sketches of Colorado, its Cities, Principal Towns and Mountain Scenery. New York, 1866.

First edition of this magnificent series of documentary views. This copy in original cloth. "Mathews’ spectacular lithographs of Colorado are among the most lavish found in western view books. They are mainly devoted to mining towns and scenes in the Rockies. The artist came to Colorado in 1865, having honed his illustrative skills while a Union soldier during the Civil War ... The color plates, printed by Julius Bien in New York, make this a beautiful and important work" (Best of the West). Mathews' aims in creating this book are two-fold, to convey some "idea of the beauty and grandeur of the natural scenery in the mountains," and "to represent that portion of the country to which interest is attached on account of the rich gold and silver mines." Mathews' level of documentary precision, in terms of the machinery, landscape, and town life, has been highly commended. According to Streeter, "apparently contemporary viewers could identify in the street views the rigs of various townspeople." Deák 808; Bennett, p. 72; Best of the West 169; Bobins 1452; Creating America 73; Graff 2709; Howes M-413 ("c"); Reps 30 (identifying 16 of the lithographs as urban views); Streeter sale 2171.

Oblong folio (336 x 482mm). 36 scenes on 23 color-tinted lithographed plates by J. Bien (some finger-soiling, a few foxmarks/spotting to first few plates, long repaired tear to "Central City" plate affecting image on left side, about 4 marginal tears). Original cloth, front cover with gilt titling piece (recased with later endpapers, rubbing/repair to corners, abraded area to back cover). Provenance: William Claflin, Jr., 1893-1982 (bookplate).Mathews, Alfred Edward
Colorado
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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16.06.2023
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