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Portfolio List: This object is a member of the following portfolio:
Portfolio List: This object is a member of the following portfolio:
handkerchief
| Date: | 1804 - 1808 |
| Country: | United States of America |
| Continent: | North America |
| Title: | Effect of Principle Behold the Man, The |
| Technique: | copperplate print, glazed, weaving |
| Material: | cotton |
| Artist: | Hewson, John |
| Dimensions: | 13 x 12 in. (32 x 30 cm) |
| Credit: | Transferred from the Visual Materials Archive, Wisconsin State Historical Society |
| Accession Number: | 2000.13.002 |
Comments: Printed by John Hewson of Germantown Print Works, Philadelphia. He is one of the most famous calico printers of his time, and one of few whose works are actually attributed to a specific designer. The portrait was copied from a painting by Gilbert Stuart, made for William Constable. Natural colored, glazed cotton square handkerchief printed in blue by flat engraved copper plates. The theme is based on a commemoration of the life of George Washington, with his full length portrait in the center. Above his head is a draped curtain with the words 'The Effect of Principle: Behold the Man' written on it. In separated columns on either side of the portrait are written tributes; on the left an excerpt from his farewell speech and on the ride side a eulogy. Below the portrait and the column are three short rectangles, side by side, each featuring three political images; on the left an eagle with a crest and 'E PLURBIS UNIM', in the middle two tall ships with the words 'Commercial Union' and on the right a sleeping lion holding a British flag with the words 'The British Lion.' The piece is framed in a narrow blue border with zig-zag patterns, and is roughly cut out with unfinished edges.
LABEL TEXT
This handkerchief commemorates George Washington, and includes his famous resignation speech from September 19, 1796 in which he urged the country to avoid a two party political system, to continue isolationist policies, and remain united.
The process of copper plate printing is similar to that of wood block printing; however, copper plating allowed for finer details and more intricate designs. Handkerchiefs from this era often commemorated events and individuals. They were primarily for decoration and display rather than functional purposes because they were so delicately printed.
LABEL TEXT
This handkerchief commemorates George Washington, and includes his famous resignation speech from September 19, 1796 in which he urged the country to avoid a two party political system, to continue isolationist policies, and remain united.
The process of copper plate printing is similar to that of wood block printing; however, copper plating allowed for finer details and more intricate designs. Handkerchiefs from this era often commemorated events and individuals. They were primarily for decoration and display rather than functional purposes because they were so delicately printed.
Bibliography List
This object has the following bibliographic references:
This object has the following bibliographic references:
- Herbert Ridgeway Collins. Threads of History: Americana Recorded on Cloth 1775 to Present. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, D.C. , 1979. Page Number: 63.
- J. J. Murphy. Children's Handkerchiefs: A Two Hundred Year History. Schiffer Publishing Ltd.. Atglen, PA , 1998. Page Number: 6-7, 10.
- William C. Segal. Encyclopedia of Textiles. Prentice-Hall, Inc.. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. , 1960. Page Number: 220.
Information to come