Straight from a Vandergrift PA estate, brought back (so the story goes) from Germany – after crashing in Germany, cut at the middle and chopped at the end. Looks like it was done at the time, and rigged to hang on an old chain. Made by Paragon in Baltimore, MD – the markings I can make out are “6576″, “1780″, AID C2 in a circle, 8′3 x 5.00 and “right hand.” Very nice condition with a few scuffs and one limited crack at the cut (not deep).
Railroad workers on a track, about two dozen (both workers and management) with lanterns and axes in full view. Two sit on top of the caboose – on which they have written “8 Hours Bof RI 439 & 225″ along with an Uncle Sam shouting “I Want 8 Hours.” Not quite a strike, but an outcry – when they knew they were getting this picture taken for the rails owners. Sight size is approx 8″ x 10″ on 12″ x 14″ mount. Gorgeous image, clear – undamaged and the contrast is magnificent. The mount too is undamaged, has a bump to the right top corner – nothing else.
Cast iron book ends with beautiful high relief images of men at work in a Steel mill. Inside the paired image of the two men is “FWS”. Uncertain if that was the name of a mill – or if those are the artist’s initials and this is a WPA era art project. Measure 4 1/2″ tall, 6″ wide and 2″ deep at base.
In 1822 William Strickland was sent by a society of foreward thinking men in Philadelphia (where he was a noted architect and civil engineer) to research and copy British civil engineering and modes of transport. (Of course the industrial revolution hit 50-60 years earlier there than it really took hold here). He produced a book, of 58 full page engravings of machinery, as well as roads/byways – the book was only given to the members of the society, about 400 men in total and to the best of my knowledge was never reprinted. While I have others on hand, here we have the Quarry Crane, Truck Wagon & Brake; Method of Cokeing & Coal; Entrance Into a Mine; Side and End View of a Wagon. Each plate measures 10″ x 15″ sight size, and is matted singly in a tan acid free archival mat and framed in cherry – these are begging to be in the thinking man’s library or office.
