OUTLINE MAP OF THE COUNTY AND CITY OF PHILADELPHIA
Lithograph means "stone print". Invented in 1796 by Alois Senfelder, it works on the simple principle that oil and water don't mix. An image is drawn with oil, fat or wax onto the surface of a smooth, level lithographic limestone plate. The stone is treated with a mixture of acid and gum arabic, etching the portions of the stone that were not protected by the grease based image. When the stone was moistened, those etched areas retained water; an oil based ink could then be applied and would be repelled by the water, sticking only to the original drawing. The ink would be transferred to a blank paper sheet, producing a printed page.
By 1820, lithography was widely adopted by the best artists of the century. This technique was popular because the artist could draw his own illustration directly on the lithographic stone. Prints could be made from the drawing with no intermediary such as an engraver. Accurately reproduced and then colored by hand, the resulting illustrations gave the impression of original watercolor paintings. Even with the excellent methods of color reproduction as the chromolithograph, the beauty of hand-coloring is rarely surpassed.
Offering a hand-colored lithograph from Walling and Gray's "New Topographical Atlas of the State of Pennsylvania;published by Stedman, Brown, & Lyon, Philadelphia". This picture demonstrates a map of the County and City of Philadelphia. It is a genuine antique print dated 1872. It measures 13" x 16" and is enhanced in a lovely wood frame.
This hand-colored lithograph is conservation mounted - acid free museum quality mat and archival backing.
# 5616-832
$195.00