Good Things Come in Small Packages

Hugo Sebald Collection . Gift of David Doret.

Despite their small size, the visual content of vignettes often provides narratives equal to those of large-format prints. The advertisements of Philadelphia wood engraver Hugo Sebald (1825-1903), given by longtime donor David Doret, and the banknote vignettes included in a scrapbook compiled by American Banknote Company printer Thomas Richardson (1802-ca. 1881) are cases in point. Although made through different mediums, the details on these prints are beyond charming. The street and pedestrian traffic juxtaposed with merchandise on display in storefront windows in the advertisements are little slices of 19th-century Americana. The steel-engraved banknote vignettes not only inspire awe for their fine workmanship, but also occasionally dumbfound the viewer as to their context, particularly when allegorical or industrial. See for yourself.