Zhantiques

Antique Victorian prints, graphic art, paper ephemera

NB - Our apologies if you came to this page looking for Derby, Doulton Lambeth or Brownfield - we have decided to extend our Victorian print sales instead of the less succesful porcelain & pottery.

ABOUT OUR VICTORIAN PRINT COLLECTION

We have a large collection of prints and interesting articles, all but a few of which have been taken from the ‘British Printer’ 1893-1901. They are of interest to collectors of Victorian paper ephemera and prints, Victorian graphic art, vintage and paper prints. It will also be of interest to those who study local history who enjoy old photos of towns and villages. This was a period when the cost of reproducing illustrations for publication suddenly became cheap and economical due to the invention and development of photoengraving processes.
The images cover a wide variety of subject matter – namely the natural world, architecture, military subjects, landscapes, local views of places in the UK and Europe, photographic models and other portraits, Victorian pinups and beauties, trade advertisements for industry, business, shops, exhibitions and other events.

These are contemporary prints and examples of graphic art and it is quite possible that some maybe have been exclusive to the 'British Printer' but I do not know to what extent this is so. My research into some of the artists' works reproduced in this publication leads me to believe that that this might have been the case. And just to emphasise - these are NOT reproductions of old originals - they are the original Victorian prints from the 1890's - all now over a 100 years old!

I have more prints for sale on the Specialistauctions website www.specialistauctions.com . Go to 'advanced search', select the 'seller' tab and type 'labretonne' in the box. This will return a list of what I have currently available there. The list also includes items of pottery and porcelain.

The first few prints here are all advertisements for Winstone's Printing inks. They are wonderful items many typically in the Art Novevau graphic style, with many carrying signatures of artists or possibly engravers. I have tried to research the names, mostly without success, but I have included such information as I have been able to find.

Advert for Winstone's Inks, signed E.J. Smith,1898

Striking black and white drawing by E. J. Smith, printed in Winstone's violet black ink.

27cms x 21cms £7.50

Advert for Winstone's Inks depicting a scene from Venice, 1896

Printed in 4 printings using a half-tone block by Angerer & Goschl, Vienna. The picture of this Venetian scene is after a was drawing by Tony Grubhofer from a book on Venice 'Venezia' published by Emil M Engel, Vienna.
Tony Grubhofer was a Swiss artist 1854-1935
He produced many drawings, water colours etc. of picturesque locations through out Europe.
He was born in Innsbruck and studied under Echter at the Munich Academy of Fine Art, and then under Lichtenfels in Vienna.
Also listed are the inks used in this print.


27cms x 21cms £7.50

Risque advert for Winstone's Printing Inks, 1896

This delightful ad features a diaphonously clad young lady holding a wreath with a crescent moon as a background.


27cms x 21cms £7.50

Advert for Winstone's Printing Inks depicting Tannhauser Act 1 Scene 2 , 1901

An interesting advert for a number of reasons. It appeared in 1901, the year the opera was first performed in Sydney, Australia. It also carries the telephone number and telegram name for the company at the top of the print. This was a very new means of communication for businesses at the time. Not only are we told which colour ink was used but also its cost per pound weight. To include the price was another recent innovation.

27cms x 21cms £7.50

Signed advert for Winstone's Inks c1900. Typical Art Nouveau style

This a wonderful example of the graphic art of the time. Signed by one Sinclair , I can find no information about him. It's not clear exactly what his/her initials are. But the detail
is fantastic. Could be 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds'! Also carries the cost of the ink.


27cms x 21cms £7.50

Advert for Winstone's Inks 1897, signed Crowquills

Another striking advert. I have been unable to find out who this 'Crowquills' is. Another artist Alfred Crowquill died in 1872.
A Google search reveals that a crow quill is a kind of pen nib so maybe this is what has been used to draw the ad.

27cms x 21cms £7.50

Advert for Winstone's Inks by Frank Nudd 1898

A charming ad in the Art Nouveau style. I have been unable to find any information about Frank Nudd.


27cms x 21cms. £7.50

Advert for Winstone's Inks - Frank Nudd 1898

Another charming advert by Frank Nudd.



27cms x 21 cms £7.50

Example of a Victorian menu

An interesting example of a Victorian dinner menu from 1895. The dishes being served are listed course by course and their is an intriguing list of toasts including one for the 'Town and trade of Leicester' .(Where the British printer was printed & published.) There are eight toasts listed so I guess a lot of bubbly was consumed! For anyone running a Victorian banquet - here's loads of information on what to serve and who to toast.


24cms x 19cms SOLD

Wine List from a hotel

An example of a hotel wine list from 1898. Here we find listed various wine types - champagne, port, (Choice old), sherry, Madeira,claret and Burgundy. All of the wines listed are priced per bottle. A Moet & Chandon would have set you back seven shillings and sixpence, whilst a bottle of vintage 1893 claret cost two shillings and threepence.


21cms x 27cms £5

Wedding Portraits of the Duke and Duchess of York

I am selling these two photographic portraits as a pair. They celebrate the wedding of the Duke of York to Princess Mary of Teck in 1893. Princess May became Queen Mary when The Duke of York became King George V.

19cms x 24cms £12 the pair

These two portraits are in reality printed on the same size of paper. My editing of the image has produced the two different sizes here. I will change them!!

Portrait of Robert Burns 1896

This photographic engraving of the famous Alexander Nasmyth portrait now in the Scottish National Gallery was published for the Burns centenary in 1896.
The engraving was produced by the Edinburgh firm of Stevenson and Ogilvie who were operating 1895-1899.
It was printed with Mossman Brothers ink, St. Stephen's Printing Ink Works, Silvermills, Edinburgh.


21cms x 27cms £7

Photographic portrait of Victorian actor Mr W Terriss

This is an 1893 photo-engraving of Victorian actor Mr W Terriss playing Henry VIII in Shakespeare's play of the same name.
Catherine of Aragon was played by Ellen Terry - see below.
The photograph was taken in the studio of Window & Grove, London.
Both photos engraved by Swan Electric Engraving Company.

19cms x 24cms £7 or £6 if bought with the Ellen Terry photo below.

Photographic portrait of the celebrated Victorian actress Ellen Terry

This is an 1893 photo-engraving of Ellen Terry playing Catherine of Aragon in Shakespeare's Henry VIII.

19cms x 21cms £7 or £6 if bought with the photo of W. Terriss above.

Ellen Terry as Portia

This is an 1895 coloured photographic portrait of Ellen Terry as Portia, from the studio of FRank Brown, Leicester. It is an example of the then fairly new printing process called photochromy. The paper was manufactured by Spalding & Hodge Ltd., Drury Lane, London.
The blocks used in the printing were made by C. Angerer & Gosehl, Vienna. Other printing details are also included.

19cms x 24cms £10

Photographic portrait of King Oscar II of Sweden.

Oscar II reigned from 1872 until his death in 1907. He was born in 1829. He was also King of Norway from 1872 until 1905 when the two countries became independent monarchies.
This portrait was published in 1901 from a brass engraving by Wald.Zachrisson, Gothenburg.


21cms x 27cms £7

'Portia' Portrait reproduced from a steel engraving 1895

I had on these pages a while ago a portrait of 'Ophelia'. I have been fortunate to buy a framed original engraving of that same print. I researched the information on the back of the frame which has led me to believe that the portrait was of Fanny Kemble - a famous Victorian actress who lived from 1809 until 1893. She played many Shakespearian heroines and she was drawn in these roles by an artist named John Hayter in the 1840's. Some of these were subsequently engraved by W.H.Mote. I strongly believe that this depiction of Portia is Fanny Kemble in that role as drawn by John Hayter. For this particular print, a steel engraving has been made by Andre Sleigh - his signature appears on the print. Full technical details appear underneath the print.


24cms x 19cms £7

Portrait of Mrs. Brown-Potter , Victorian Actress, 1898

Mrs Brown-Potter (1859 – 1936), born Mary Cora Urquhart, was one of the first American society women to take to the stage.
She married James Brown-Potter in 1877 and they had a daughter, Anne in 1879.
They visited England in 1886 where they met the Prince of Wales and were subsequently invited to spend the weekend with him. James returned to the United States alone following the visit, as Mary remained in England to pursue a career on stage. She made her stage debut at the Theatre Royal in Brighton in 1877. Later that year she started a successful partnership with Harold Kyrle Bellew.
She and Harold toured the world and starred together for the next ten years.
Despite the fact her husband divorced her in 1903 she continued to use her married name as her stage name. Her last appearance on the London stage was in 1912. She made a further stage appearance in 1919 for a benefit production in Guernsey.
In addition to her stage career she helped to raise money for war charities during The Boer War.
Information from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs_Brown-Potter

The original photo was taken by Lafayette.
James Lafayette was the pseudonym of James Stack Lauder (1853–1923).He was a late Victorian and Edwardian portrait photographer, and managing director from 1898 to 1923 of a company specialising in society photographs, Lafayette Ltd.
In 1887, he became the first Irish photographer to be granted the royal warrant.
Information also from Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lafayette

I love the elegant graphic leaf design which frames this picture giving it a soft edge.

27cms x 21cms £7