click on image to enlarge
I didn’t really happen upon anything of interest in the collection this week, so I went digging. I didn’t have to dig far to find this chestnut.
We have a set of broadsides from the mid-1800’s that are representative of the printing press style for that time. (This style is experiencing a comeback in modern printmaking: see Yee-Haw Industries, a Knoxville-based printing press.) Ephemeral posters of this sort did not survive in large numbers and are considered rare. The one pictured above is an advertisement for the stud services of a horse named “Boston“. The broadside comes from our Joseph Johnston collection. Johnston was a shop-owner in Madisonville, Tennessee and likely had this poster displayed in his shop window (the James Johnston referred to in the advertisement might be a relation of Mr. Johnston, but we do not know for sure). We have several other rare broadsides in the collection which can be viewed at any time in the Special Collections.
The engraving of the horse and groom in this broadside is particularly beautiful. By its style, it is circa 1850, or perhaps a bit earlier. Thanks very much for posting this.
Are more of these broadsides viewable online? I’d love to see them.
No other broadsides are online yet, but I plan to post more in the future. As we continue to fiddle with digital exhibits, I will definitely work on one that includes broadsides. Thanks for reading!