1874 Marble Canyon Engraving by Thomas Moran From Picturesque America Vol. II

Antique book plate engraving of the Marble Canyon (Cañon) by Thomas Moran.  This image appears in Picturesque America Vol. II within the “Cañons of the Colorado” section of the book (see history below).  Page 508 of the book vividly describes the scenery and the journey undertaken by the writer and Thomas Moran to reach the site: “The writer of this, and Mr. Moran, the artist, visited two of the most interesting points in the cañon in July and August, 1873.  We travelled by stage in hired vehicles–they could not be called carriages–and on horseback from Salt-Lake City to Toquerville, in Southwestern Utah, and thence about sixty miles to Kanab, just north of the Arizona line.  Quite passable roads have been constructed by the Mormons this whole distance of about four hundred miles.” 

The book plate is taped to the back of a double mat.  The top mat is a marbled blue-green and the inner mat is gray.  (The colors in the engraving (pale greens, blues, grays, and pinks) would probably be enhanced by choosing a different mat, which we will leave to the purchaser’s taste.)  The artist’s initials appear in the lower right and “Marble Cañon” is printed on the bottom center under the mat.   This piece of art is not only a wonderful reminder of the “wildness” that existed in our country in centuries past and the majesty of our landscape, but a beautiful souvenir of the area for those who have visited in more recent times.  See dimensions and condition description below.  

DIMENSIONS:   Overall: 14″ x 11″; image: about 9″ x 6.5″

CONDITION: Good antique condition.  Lovely colors.  There are various tape remnants and residue on the back, as well as a small area where the printed text was peeled off when old tape was removed; a tear at the top of the paper (under the mat) and another at bottom right near the edge of the mat (not visible).  See photos for details.

SHIPPING: $8 flat rate shipping valid only for street addresses within contiguous United States; we cannot deliver to post office boxes.  For shipping to Alaska, Hawaii and elsewhere, please contact us with your location for a custom shipping quote.

HISTORY (from online sources): MARBLE CANYON is the section of the Colorado River canyon in northern Arizona from Lee’s Ferry to the confluence with the Little Colorado River, which marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon.

PICTURESQUE AMERICA was a two-volume set of books describing and illustrating the scenery of America, which grew out of an earlier series in Appleton’s Journal.  It was published by D. Appleton and Company of New York in 1872 and 1874 and edited by the romantic poet and journalist William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), who also edited the The New York Post. The work’s essays, together with its nine hundred wood engravings and fifty steel engravings based on the paintings of some of the best American landscape painters, including Thomas Moran, are considered to have had a profound influence on the growth of tourism and the historic preservation movement in the United States.   This ambitious work was published and delivered as a subscription; semi-monthly parts were sent out to subscribers. Once complete, the subscription would be bound into volumes. A variety of bindings were available, from cloth-bound with leather corners at the low end to full Morocco leather bindings with elaborate tooling. The stately, bound two-volume set was proudly displayed in parlors of subscriber homes as a show of status.  

THOMAS MORAN  (1837-1926) was an English-born American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School in New York whose work often featured the Rocky Mountains.  His vision of the Western landscape was critical to the creation of Yellowstone National Park.  His painting “The Three Tetons” (1895) hung in the Oval Office to the right of George Washington’s portrait during the Obama administration.

A WORD ABOUT VINTAGE: Our inventory consists of vintage or antique items which are more than 20 years old, usually used or pre-owned, unless marked “new old stock.”  As such, there may be signs of wear and age, which we will disclose to the best of our ability.  Nevertheless, we encourage you to carefully read the description and view the photos, especially when purchasing a gift.  All items ship with tracking and insurance, and although we do not accept returns, we will offer a refund in case of breakage or damage during transit, upon receipt of sufficient proof. 

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