Collection of printing plates, including several with a Philadelphia provenance and a number with engraved marks on the recto and verso. Designs include calling cards, scientific illustrations, border specimens, and the frontispiece in "Count Roderic's Castle, or, Gothic Times" (Philadelphia, 1795) illustrated with a swordfighting scene. Engraved marks depict birds, floral imagery, filigree, mathematical and anatomical diagrams, and geometric details. One plate also used as a trial plate and contains a montage of details, including a shield, sickle, female allegorical figure, a female figure leaning on a horse and with a basket at her feet, the monogram “CPH,” and strings of letters. Collection also includes two envelopes with inscriptions about their content and two type blocks containing marks depicting monograms. One type design also includes a woodpecker., Names on calling cards include Jabez Maud Fisher; Mr. J. F. Fisher; The Misses Fisher, Alverthorpe; Mr. George Harrison; William Bradford, 319 S. Fifteenth St., and Mr. Harrison., Engravers include John Vallance, E. Trenchard, and Dreka., Plate makers include J. B. Keim., Gift of David Doret., Housed in a phase box., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Louis Dreka was first listed as an engraver in Philadelphia city directories in 1863.
Date
[ca. 1795-ca. 1863]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department albums - engraved printing plates [P.2010.35.10-26]
