Original Vanity Fair lithographs - proofs before letters, rare print proofs

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original spy prints vanity fair lithographs

BACKGROUND: Produced to verify the colours and lines of the lithographs, no more than 20 proofs were printed of each caricature. These prints have no captions or dates, or other descriptive type, and the magazine bound them in numbered albums, in green leather with gilt tooling. They were offered for sale, and also awarded as prizes in the magazine's acrostic contests. At the front of each volume was a printed note from Vanity Fair giving the number of proof volume and the numbered volume in the series. The quality of the colours in the proof prints, their clarity of line and detail and their scarcity make them of considerable interest to collectors.

Source: " In 'Vanity Fair' " by Roy T. Matthews and Peter Mellini

We sell original Vanity Fair "Spy" prints (lithographs), not reproductions.
Vanity Fair prints are usually about 10½ by 15½ inches, varying somewhat by year and publisher over the 45 years of the magazine's life.

Whenever possible, we provide the original descriptive text or a copy thereof.

IMPORTANT: the name, date, and title given below each thumbnail do not appear on the prints, as these are"Proofs before lettering." Please see background information above.
We do provide descriptive text of the caricature whenever possible.

Vanity Fair "Spy" Print Categories

Accountants

Ambassadors from England

Ambassadors to England

Americans

Architects and Engineers

Artists

Automobilists & Balloonists

Aviators

Bankers and Financiers

Billiards

Boxers

Businessmen and Empire Builders

Carriage Drivers

Chancellors of the Exchequer

Doctors and Scientists

Dog Judge

Doubles/Groups

Duelling

Explorers and Inventors

Proofs before lettering

Stock Exchange Officials

Trade Union Officials

Turf Devotees

Wagerers

Yachting

[Phineas Taylor Barnum]

[Nov. 16, 1889]

["Barnum"]
(Americans)

Proof before lettering

NOTE: a "regular" non-proof print may be available under the Americans category

[The Hon. Chauncey Mitchell Depew, LL.D]

[Oct. 26, 1889]

["Mr. Chauncey M. Depew
President of the New York Central Road"]
(Americans)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[M. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel]

[May 11, 1889]

["Gustave Eiffel"]
(Architects and Engineers)

Proof before lettering
$249.99

[Baron Ferdinand James De Rothschild, M.P.]

[June 15, 1889]

["Ferdy"]
(Bankers and Financiers)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[Richard Pigott]

[March 9, 1889]

["Richard Pigott"]
(Criminals)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Sir Henry Aaron Isaacs]

[Nov. 9, 1889]

["A New Lord Mayor"]
(Freemasons)

Proof before lettering
$249.99

[The Marquis of Drogheda,
K.P., P.C., J.P., D.L.]

[March 30, 1889]

["Punchestown"]
(Horse Trainers)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[Mr. John Porter]

[Oct. 12, 1889]

["John Porter"]

(Horse Trainers)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Sir George Russell, M.P., D.L.]

[March 2, 1889]

["Wokingham"]
(Legal)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Mr. Augustus Helder]

[April 30, 1889]

["Whitehaven"]
(Legal)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Admiral Sir John Edmund Commerell, G.C.B., V.C.]

[August 3, 1889]

["Admiral Sir John Edmund Commerell, G.C.B., V.C."]
(Military)

Proof before lettering
$249.99

[Major-General Sir Francis Grenfell, K.C.B.]

[Oct 19, 1889]

["General Sir Francis Grenfell, K.C.B."]
(Military)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Harry Marks]

[March 17, 1889]

["Financial News"]
(Newspapermen)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Monsieur de Blowitz]

[Dec 7, 1889]

[" 'The Times' in Paris "]
(Newspapermen)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Mr. John Corlett]

[March 14, 1889]

["The Pink 'Un"]
(Newspapermen)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[Mr. Thomas Gibson Bowles]

[July 13, 1889]

["Tommy"]
(Newspapermen)
(founder of Vanity Fair magazine)

Proof before lettering
$349.99

[The Right Honourable Lord Sandhurst]

[June 22, 1889]

["A Soldier's Son"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[The Earl of Fife, K.T.]

[July 27, 1889]

["A Princess's Husband"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[The Right Honourable James Whitehead, J.P., D.L., Lord Mayor of London]

[March 16, 1889]

["Bonnie Westmoreland"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering

$249.99

[John Bright]

[April 6, 1889]

["John Bright"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[Mr. William Cuthbert Quilter. J.P., M.P.]

[Feb 9, 1889]

["in Society and a Member of Parliament"]
(Politicians)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[H.S.H. Prince Demtrey Soltykoff]

[July 6, 1889]

["Count Soltykoff"]
(Royalty and Heads of State)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[M. Marie François Sadi Carnot]

[Sept 21, 1889]

["M. Carnot"]
(Royalty and Heads of State)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[Henry Searle]

[Sept 7, 1889]

["Professional Champion
Sculler of the World"]
(Rowing)

Proof before lettering
$399.99

[Mr. Guy Nickalls]

[July 20, 1889]

["Wingfield Sculls"]
(Rowing)

Proof before lettering

[The Marquis of Carmarthen]

[Feb 23, 1889]

["Dolly"]
(Sports Misc.)

Proof before lettering
$249.99

[The Rev. Edmund Henry Morgan, M.A.]

[Jan 19, 1889]

["Red Morgan"]
(Teachers)

Proof before lettering
$249.99

[The Reverend Henry Arthur Morgan, D.D.]

[Jan 26, 1889]

["Black Morgan"]
(Teachers)

Proof before lettering
$299.99

[Mr. Arthur Cecil]

[Dec 28, 1889]

["Arthur Cecil"]
(Theatre)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[Major E.H. Egerton]

[Aug 24, 1889]

["Major E.H. Egerton /
Official Handicapper to the Jockey Club"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Viscount Dagnan]

[Jan 12, 1889]

["Viscount Dagnan"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[The Honourable George Higginson Allsopp, M.P.]

[April 20, 1889]

["Beer"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[The Right Honourable Lord Hothfield]

[Aug. 17, 1889]

["Lord Hothfield"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$149.99

[Mr. Harry McCalmont]

[Oct. 5, 1889]

["Mr. HLB McCalmont"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

[Mr. J. T. MacKenzie of Kintail]

[March 23, 1889]

["The Universal Benefactor"]
(Turf Devotees)

Proof before lettering
$199.99

Alfonso XIII

[ May 24, 1906]

["S.M. Alfonso XIII"]
(Royalty and Heads of State)

Original Vanity Fair "SPY" Prints home
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