Towering Mammoth Tree in California: "Beauty of the Forest" Lithograph of 1856

€ 220

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1856
Sheet size: 28.3 × 20.7 cm (11.1 × 8.1 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-14038-36

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Condition summary: Very good condition with crisp details and well-preserved colors. Minor toning typical for its age.

About this sheet

A giant redwood standing in its forest, an original tinted lithograph from the Pacific Railroad Surveys, issued in 1856. The caption reads "Mammoth Tree 'Beauty of the Forest'", with "T. Sinclair's lith. Phil." at lower right. The header reads "U.S.P.R.R. Exp. & Surveys, Cal." and the sheet is numbered as a Geology plate.

The portrait format suits the subject. A single tall, straight trunk rises from the lower center to a crown of layered, drooping branches high above the surrounding trees, with a tiny figure standing at its foot for scale. Younger conifers of the same kind stand on either side, and a pale mass of forest fills the background. The printing is in warm buff and brown tints with a pale blue sky.

The plate was prepared for the geological reports of the California survey and published in Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.