Details
Title Rosenthal, Max
Date November 22, 1833-August 8, 1918
Description Max Rosenthal, born on November 22, 1833 in Turck, Russian Poland, was a skilled lithographer, mezzotint engraver, and painter who delineated the majority of the chromolithographs for the firm he operated with his brothers Louis N., Morris (i.e., Maurice), and Simon Rosenthal in Philadelphia from 1851-ca. 1872. Trained as an engraver and lithographer in Paris by Martin Thurwanger since the age of thirteen, he arrived in Philadelphia with his master artisan ca. 1849 to work under contract for Duval & Company. After finishing his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, he partnered with his brother Louis N. in the lithographic establishment L. N. Rosenthal also known as Rosenthals at the southeast corner of Third and Dock Streets in 1851. Within the year, the establishment received a "First Premium" award from the Franklin Institute for chromolithography.
According to Peters and Marzio, Max operated primarily as the artist, and Louis as the printer, publisher and proprietor of the firm that produced illuminated book plates, sheet music covers, advertisements, labels, geological and anatomical drawings, portraits, maps, and views of buildings. During the Civil War, Rosenthal also issued a series of camp and battle scenes based on views created by Max when he traveled with the Grand Army of the Potomac between 1861 and 1863.
In 1857 the Rosenthal firm relocated to a larger space with new equipment at the northwest corner of Fifth and Chestnut Streets. By 1863, the business relocated to 327 Walnut Street, where on September 15, 1872 fire struck and caused severe water damage. Soon thereafter, the Rosenthal firm dissolved after twenty-plus years in Philadelphia and Louis N. relocated to Chicago, while Max remained in Philadelphia.
Rosenthal continued to work as an artist and lithographer until the 1910s, often with his son Albert (1863-1939) at 831 Arch Street. Together in 1893 they published etchings on copper of portraits of the Attorneys General of the United States. Later in life, Rosenthal, an instructor for the Art Students Union, experimented more with mezzotint engraving as well as produced oil paintings and watercolors. Outside of the art trade, he was a member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.
After arriving in Philadelphia ca. 1849, Max resided briefly with his brother Louis in the Penn Ward, and shortly after married Caroline (b. ca. 1841) and moved to Kensington. They had one daughter, Rebecca (b. ca. 1870) by 1860. By 1870, they had relocated to Center City (Ward 7) with six children. By 1880, their household at 537 Spruce Street in Center City included four more children. The 1900 census shows another child was born after 1880 and that Rosenthal was widowed. He resided at 150 North Twentieth Street (Ward 10) at the time of his death on August 8, 1918.
Is part of Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
References See Rosenthal, Louis N. and Thurwanger, Martin
Call number Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
Bibliographic citation Rosenthal, "Max Rosenthal: Lithographer, Painter, Designer, Etcher and Engraver in Mezzotint," The Print Connoisseur (September 1921), 3-26.
Census 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900
Groce & Wallace, 547
Last, 126-127
Library Company of Philadelphia research file
Marzio, 34-37
Morais, The Jews of Philadelphia, 54-55, 367-368
Peters, 343-346
Philadelphia Business & City Directories, 1851-1900 (intermittently)
Philadelphia Inquirer, September 16, 1872
PMA, Philadelphia: Three Centuries in American Art, 348-9
WWWAA, 2830
Year 1918, Will 2144, Register of Wills, City Hall, Philadelphia