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Rare prints and maps...Since 1918! Click here to go to Darvill's home page.

Since Adirondack Retro acquired Darvill's Rare Prints in August of 2022, we have been working tirelessly on our New State-Of-The Art Website. We are excited to announce that it is now up and running and that our massive inventory of Antique Prints and Rare Maps are being transferred over to the new site daily. In addition to the nearly 500,000 prints found on www.DarvillsRarePrints.com, Adirondack Retro offers an eclectic selection of Antique and Vintage Advertisements along with their Limited Edition Giclee Prints. During this transition, customers will still be able to shop and make purchases on www.DarvillsRarePrints.com.

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Darvill's Rare Prints is pleased to offer a large selection of original Henry Alken etchings.

Henry Alken etchings and engravings are available from:
"Illustrations to Popular Songs" (1823)
"Symptoms of Being Amused" (1822)
"Sporting Prints" (circa 1830)

Illustrations of popular songs of the day, Alken's imaginative vignettes illustrate the songs line by line. Their fine execution and hand-color make them wonderful examples of Alken's work.

 

"Sporting Prints"

by Henry Alken

Published by Thomas McLean,
London

circa 1830

Original Antique Hand-colored stone lithographs

Sheet Size: 11 x 14 inches

Image Size: 7 x 8½ inches

Condition: Fair/Good, with overall scattered foxing.

These lithographs are printed or backed on a stiff card stock.


Some prints may have signs of foxing or other age-related defects. Please have a look at the enlarged photos for the best indication of each print's condition.
(note; entire image did not fit on scanner.)

A bit about Henry Alken:


Sporting artist, engraver and illustrator.

Born in London in 1784 into a family which became celebrated for its sporting artists and engravers. He is said to have worked as a trainer for the Duke of Beaufort, before studying under T. Barker Beaumont, the miniaturist, and he exhibited miniatures at the RA in 1801-2.

He moved to Melton Mowbray in 1810 to train horses. and eke out a livelihood in decorating trays with hunting scenes. His success really began when he issued prints under the name of "Ben Tally Ho" in 1813 and was at his most prolific in the 1820s and 1830s. His work was less interesting after that date and he died in poverty on April 8, 1851. His son H.G. Alken copied his father's work extensively.

Alken illustrations and separate prints are lively and very colourful and are closer to the 18th century caricature than to the 18th century sporting print. He enlarged Gillray's idea that the mishaps of hunting could be depicted in the same format as scenes of The chase and his publisher was significantly Thomas M'Lean of 'The Repository of Wit and Humour'.

Shaw Sparrow considers that he was most influential in creating a medium in which Phiz, Leech, and Caldecott could flourish. His Sketchbook, 1823 and Scrapbook, 1824 with pages crammed with nearly related but separated incidents, may have influended strip stories in the Victorian magazines. His drawings are most often seen in soft pencil with colour washes.

(from "The Dictionary of British Book Illustrators and Caricaturists, 1800-1914" by Simon Houfe)
collection for you!

 


My good fellows,...

My good fellows, I have an IDEA that this
sort of GATE was made for only
one at a time to go through.

Getting a team together

I have an IDEA that I have got
them rather too much together now.
$95


Thrown off

My high Tom, I have an IDEA we
shall soon be off, for my Orse
seems to understand it.

So does mine, don't your
ART beat Joe?
$95

Trouble

They may call this pleasure,
but I have an IDEA that
it has brought me into
considerable trouble.
$95


A Curricle Match

I have an IDEA my Lord, that nothing
but time or a stone wall will stop them
and I'll bet a cool hundred that Frank will
not head them for the next mile .
$95



I say my dear Sir, have you not
an IDEA that there is considerable
danger in the present case?.
$95


My 150 Guineas

I have an IDEA he is going /
And with him my 150 Guineas.
$95



I say my hearty chap have you any
IDEA what ought to be done
in the present case?
$95


Effective Fall

I have an IDEA that this is a most
important and effective Fall.

 

Remains of a Stanhope

I say my clever feller, have you an IDEA
you can make this thing capable
of progression?
$95




 

IDEAS
Returning Home
Ideas Returning Home
I say my Boy we ave got some IDEAS about Unting now arent we?
I think we ave, & good many, & a precious good dinner we ad for the money, adent we? for Unting you know makes Unters develish Ungry.

 

$75

(see foxing)


 

 

Thousands of original Antique and Vintage Humor and Satire prints here