FLORIDA IN PRINT
The Early Years
A collection of images from the late 19th and early 20th century assembled to give credit to the pictorial engravers of the period who were highly skilled craftsmen that labored in anonymity.
Publishers of the late 19th and early 20th century depended on artists to provide the original sketches and illustrations needed for their publications. They would contract with or employ artists, some with fine art credentials, like Winslow Homer, to travel the country and provide the images that would accompany breaking news, political and social events, travelogues or other items of general interest. These drawings would be sent to the publishers via the fastest possible way, often horseback or railroad where they would be handed off to the engravers who interpreted and reproduced them on woodblocks or metal plates. As you can imagine, these artisans worked under tremendous pressure to complete their tasks and get the images to the pressmen. Some images were traced on the woodblocks which was then divided into sections and given to different engravers to complete. They were then bolted tightly together to form the pictures that would be printed. The joint lines were often visible on images that were used in less expensive publications like weekly journals and other ephemera. The more detailed steel plate engravings that were used in fine art publications like Picturesque America can be considered art of the highest quality but often unappreciated.