Section II. Tools of the Trade

The production of a lithograph required not only the skills of the artist, lithographer, and printer, but the proper tools, equipment, and support staff. Young male apprentices and other shop workers cut, moved, and ground the stones; made the inks and crayons; and dampened and fed paper to the presses. The materials in this section are some of the tools utilized by those in lithography to learn the trade and maintain a lithographic establishment.

 

Click on the thumbnails below to browse the items in this section of the exhibition.

 

“Lithographic Press” in Elisha Noyce, The Boy’s Book of Industrial Information (New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1858). Godefroy Engelmann, Traité de Lithographie (Mulhouse, Germany: P. Baret, 1839). Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. J. Luther Ringwalt, American Encyclopaedia of Printing (Philadelphia: Menamin & Ringwalt, 1871). Excerpts from “Essays on Lithography. No. III.” in The Franklin Journal, and American Mechanics’ Magazine; Devoted to the Useful Arts, Internal Improvements and General Science (October 1827).
Excerpts from Peter S. Duval, “Lithography” in J. Luther Ringwalt, American Encyclopaedia of Printing (Philadelphia: Menamin & Ringwalt, 1871). s. Plate XLI in Godefroy Engelmann, Traité de Lithographie (Mulhouse, Germany: P. Baret, 1839). Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. “The Bronstrup Lithographic Hand Press” in Printers’ Circular (June 1876). “Patent Lithograph Printing Machine” in R. Hoe & Co., Printing Press, Machine & Saw Manufacturers (New York: Hoe & Company, 1876).
“Table for Working Printing Inks.” Detail from plate in Antoine Raucourt, A Manual of Lithography (London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, 1832). Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. “Table to Prep Stones for Chalk Drawings.” Detail from plate published in Antoine Raucourt, A Manual of Lithography (London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green and Longman, 1832). Courtesy of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. “Charles Magarge & Co., Wholesale Dealers in Paper, and Paper Makers’ Materials, Warehouse, 30, 32 and 34 South Sixth Street, Philadelphia, Pa.” in Printers’ Circular (March 1871). Pl. 7 including a dabber, lithographic pen, and fine tipped brush in Charles Hullmandel, <em>The Art of Drawing on Stone</em> (London: C. Hullmandel and R. Ackermann, 1824).
Billhead for Thomas Sinclair’s Lithographic Establishment, 506 & 508 North Street, Philadelphia, May 16, 1871. Courtesy of the American Antiquarian Society. Maurice Traubel, Letter of Solicitation, June 23, 1860. Courtesy of The Library of Congress, Manuscript Division. Printers’ Circular (October 1877). Detail from “Specimens of Printing” in Printers’ Circular (January 1878).
“Steam Powered Stone Grinder” advertisement in Printers’ Circular (October 1870). Duval & Hunter’s Catalogue of Oleograph Publications. For the Season 1873-4 (Philadelphia, 1873). Courtesy of Graphic Arts Division, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. Lithographic Printers Union, Constitution and By-Laws of the Lithographic Printers Union of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: F. W. Thomas, 1857). Courtesy of the German Society of Pennsylvania, German American Collection. Lithographic Printers Union, Constitution and By-Laws of the Lithographic Printers Union of Philadelphia (Philadelphia: F. W. Thomas, 1857). Courtesy of the German Society of Pennsylvania, German American Collection.

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