Afterglow; Geddington, England

1938. Etching on antique Emberlin 1846 cream laid paper with a parial watermark of Britannia, or Seated Victory, set in a cartouche, surmounted by the Crown of England, 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches (33 x 140 mm), full margins. Signed, dated, and inscribed "Ed. 150 II," in pencil, lower margin. Non-archival tape tabs at the top corners, recto, well outside of the image area, otherwise in excellent condition. Fletcher states an unknown number of first state proof impressions, and 13 second state proof impressions; he also states a regular edition of 231 second state impressions. Arms's hand inscription regarding the numbering on this print remains slightly mysterious, although Fletcher does descibe other instances in which recorded edition numbers appeared to be incomplete or incorrect, so not an anomoly in this instance. The very special paper hand chosen for this impression would indicate that this is a proof impression, perhaps a presentation proof of the second state, aside from an unrealized run of 150.

[Fletcher 315]. Paper: Arms was typical of the artists of this period - he was obsessed with paper, a mania for collecting paper that could/would improve an edition. The quantity he left after his death, distributed by his wife to fellow artists, witnesses his love for finely made paper -paper interesting because of texture, color, distinctive weave.

The earliest paper known to have been used by Arms came from a Baptismal Register Kirchen Ordnung, The Reformed Church, Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1708, bought in a bookshop in Philadelphia.

His early prints, 1915-1919, evidence paper taken from old books with gilded edges. Some prints appear on stationary from the Cisalpine Napoleonic Italy, still bearing the estampe of the office or department; others carry penned ink page numbers, taken from old ledgers of the Eighteenth Century-all beautiful shades of grey, blue and green, handmade, ribbed and otherwise. Some of his color aquatints were printed on full sheets of heavy chine or Japanese vellum, giving a sense of luxury in the richness of the stock and the width of the margins. There was a myriad of modern papers gleaned in England, France, Italy and the United States. -William Dolan Fletcher, A Man For All Times, p. 15.