Although a plate impression is one way of sometimes determining the legitimacy of an antique etching or engraving, it is NOT the best way. Very often, large numbers of steel engravings would be stitched up into a folio. The publishers would purposely use plates MUCH larger than the engraved artwork so that once printed, the plate impressions could be trimmed away and the steel engraving prints stitched up into a folio that would lie flat -- if all the prints were left untrimmed the plate impressions would have perhaps doubled or worse the thickness of the folio. So, the absence of a plate impression doesn't mean the engraving is fake -- it simply means the plate impression extended perhaps many inches out from the artwork and was trimmed away by the publisher.

On the flipside, a plate impression does NOT always mean the antique print is genuine or truly as is appears. While photogravures often have plate impressions, some photogravures are of etchings -- so while the artwork APPEARS to be an etching, and while there IS a plate plate impression -- unless you really know what to look for in terms of the linework qualities of the artwork, the artwork in this case would not be an etching but rather a photogravure of an etching, even though a plate impression may exist. Also, many photogravure and photomechanically reproduced photogravures were produced with 'after printing' embossings to resemble plate impressions (and while they look nice, the plate impressions as such are strictly there for show and not part of the legitimate printing process). A plate impression is perhaps best described as a 'clue' -- but not the sole clue to solve the mystery. For example, I bought a print on eBay described as an etching with deep plate impression. When I received it, it turned out to be a mid 1900s offset print OF an etching (not an actual etching but a photomechanically reproduced picture of an etching) and the plate impression had been added AFTER the art was printed.  The seller was honest and simply didn't know the difference between offsets and etchings. They were nice and accepted it back for a refund. 

WHY ARE SOME ENGRAVINGS TAN, IVORY, WHITE, SPOTTED ?

 

[please see my guide about age spots]

Steel engravings and etchings were, for the most part, produced using a cotton based rag sheet of paper. As both types are printed wet, engravings and etchings rely on a sheet that is absorbent AND can survive the brutality of the press. The paper is sized, with an organic sizing to help hold the fibers together and keep colors from spreading where they shouldn't spread.

Paper is subject to aging, like anything else, however cotton can hold up very well over time (hence some perfectly preserved cotton dresses have been brought out of ancient Egyptian tombs 2,000-3,000 years later). Unlike cheap paper that is largely wood pulp and highly acidic, cotton is naturally virtually nonacidic and will not brown very much over time (sometimes an engraving or etching will tan over time...but for the most part, one should NOT be especially surprised to find an engraving or etching that appears virtually like new or otherwise white and clean). If the sheet of paper has been in a high, dry climate then there will be little change to the paper. If, however, the print has been somewhere like..well, FLORIDA..for many many years, where it is humid with changes in temperature, then spotting (called foxing) can bespeckle a sheet. These little amber colored spots may be caused by any number of things: breakdown of the organic sizing in the paper, impurities in the paper, mold, reactions to acidic papers or materials in close contact with the print for many years, etc. There are a number of opinions as to what causes foxing and I submitted a guide to eBay discussing this.

 

THERE IS NO YEAR IMPRINTED ON THE PRINT, SO HOW OLD IS IT?

Most antique prints didn't come with years imprinted -- nor were they signed, nor did they come with signed certificates or papers, etc.

 

Bear this in mind:

Antique steel engravings were basically a way of owning a nice, attractive fine art print -- and, common sense here, a 100 year old antique prints was NOT antique 100 years ago, it was NEW (and common enough at the time... it's the passage of time that increases a print's scarcity and age as disasters, house fires, bugs, mildew all act to decrease the number of remaining prints produced...there will never be MORE than what was produced and there will always be LESS over time).

 

And for the most part, a steel engraving print could be bought during the 1800s for about 25 cents (which of course could also buy you a nice meal or a hotel room in some cities). At the time steel engravings were produced they did not normally come with a certificate of authenticity. Some are dated in the plate. For example, MANY of the engravings of Fisher & Co or Finden are yeared 1820s/1830s in the plate. Very often, engravings prior to the 1800s are dated. Some of the 1890s Appleton Goupil gravures are likewise dated in the plate. However, often times, antique prints are NOT dated. This doesn't generally pose much problem though, as a collector of a little experience, or a dealer with the benefit of having seen many many prints, can usually estimate the date of the engraving relatively close the year produced. Signed and limited edition prints are a 'product' of the 1900s when commercial level publishers stopped using the more expensive print making methods (of steel engraving and etching) and switched to typogravure and offsets... private artists in the 1900s continued making prints using etching and ushered in the 'signed and limited edition print'.

 

Nearly all antique prints were produced in 1-2 engraving folios, with some pages of text, wrapped in a inexpensive paper wrapper and sold as a 'part' of a larger folio -- often called subscriber folios or installments. These parts would often have years printed on their jackets. It simply becomes a matter of a good print expert and seller keeping accurate notes, keeping some folio wraps with years to identify certain plates, etc. ALL antique print sellers should be willing, at the buyer's request, to furnish a signed statement of authenticity attesting to the year, etc. of the print. Such a statment should include a statement of the genuine antique aspect of the print, the producer of the print (if known), the year of the print, or year range (as some engravings were produced during the 1800s over a number of years... so, for example, an engraving plate may be used between 1860 and 1865...so the print should be assumed "1860s"), and the sellers signature. This is his or her promise to you that the engraving is legitimate. Many collectors don't need such a statement because they have been collecting long enough to know what to look for and how to judge a genuine engraving. However, I would encourage all those new to collecting to simply request, at time of purchase, a signed statement as above.

 

If the seller doesn't list the year, ASK them the year AND ask them if the year isn't noted on the print how do they know what year it is? 

 

Finally, learn about the types of antique prints. I have a 6 page write up I'm happy to share with other collectors and it provides an overview of different antique printmaking methods. It wouldn't hurt to acquire a small collection of the basic types: etching, steel engraving, wood engraving, photogravure, lithograph, typogravure, etc. and study each. A picture is worth a 1,000 words and having actual examples allows you to know by site the type of print you are looking at or considering buying. 

 

Have fund with your collection and ask sellers LOTS of questions -- knowledgeable answers and learning about antique prints adds a great deal to the enjoyment of the hobby.  I've been collecting since 1988 and have never lost any interest in antique prints -- and each year my enthusiasm grows. It is a lifelong hobby and there's always something new to learn and enjoy about it. 

 

.... RRParks