“HIS ILLUSTRATIONS HAVING COLOR BRILLIANCY”: Army Memoirs

Folio. 480 x 405 mm., [19 x 16 inches]. Printed index of plates followed by 12 chromolithographic images after original drawings by L. K. Harlow. Each image is mounted to a cardboard mat, 11 of which have lithographic vignettes in the lower corner of the mat. Deluxe Edition, numbered "79". Sold by Subscription Only.

Each image is preceded by a tissue with the title of plate printed; some of the tissues are creased and chipped at the out edges. Each plate is signed by Harlow in pencil and a few are signed in the plate; the images are clean and bright, but the mats show some toning, and a few have minor chips to the edges. The folio plates are housed in a folding portfolio, the spine and flaps are worn and probably should be discarded.

Scarce portfolio of Civil War paintings by the noted Boston artist Louis Kinney Harlow. Harlow was noted for his water color illustrations that were used to illustrate scores of books and which keep the printer Louis Prang very busy in the 1880's and 1890's. Fielding writes, "In 1880 he opened his studio in Boston. Since that time he has been much sought after by publishers of fine books, his illustrations having color brilliancy."

The plates in this portfolio depict aspects of army life and battle scenes, including Grant at Vicksburg, Sherman on his march, and Sheridan at the Battle of Cedar Creek, Each is finely designed and colored and each is signed in pencil in the lower margin.

The color plates were printed by Koch and Sons and demonstrate the technical skills of the printer and his attention to detail and color registration.

Copies of this portfolio were scarce in the trade. NUC lists only the Boston Public Copy and OCLC adds seven others, all in American libraries.

Mantle Fielding, Dictionary of American Painters, p. 158.