Sharp & Allen, Victoria Regia or The Great Water Lily of America, is the most revered work pertaining to early American printing. Available is an extraordinary, 170 year old folio, complete. It published Boston in 1854. Featuring life sized images of water lily specimens grown in Salem, Massachusetts, in various stages of life.
The magnificent illustrations are by William Sharp. The book was authored by John Fisk Allen. Each chromolithograph was printed in colors by individual limestone slabs, in an antique printing method known as chromolithography, the first of its kind to be printed in America.
Victoria Regia or The Great Water Lily of America, Complete $28,000.
This rare collection of beautiful antique chromolithographs is the work of William Sharp and John Fisk Allen. Entitled Victoria Regia or The Great Water Lily of America. The book was printed and published in Boston for the author John Fisk Allen. All the stages of botanical development are clearly illustrated. Exquisite details are beautifully executed. This species or Great Water Lily of America was of interest to everyone. The book was issued in paper wrappers.
The contents include: Cover, Title, and Text pages. There is a brief account of the discovery of this lily. Detailed descriptions on the cultivation. Magnificent illustrations are from actual specimens grown in Salem, Massachusetts. These are the first large color printed plates of their kind, published in America.
The title reads “Victoria Regia: or The Great Water Lily of America. With a brief account of the discovery into cultivation with illustrations by William Sharp. From Specimens grown at Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.A. By John Fisk Allen. Boston. Printed and Published for the Author. 1854.”
William Sharp came to Boston from England in the late 1830’s and jumped into printing colors from limestone plates called lithographs. He was very proficient with incredible detail and use of color. He was a natural at his profession and produced five of the 6 plates. John Fisk Allen did only one. Can you guess which one is Allen’s?
When this rare book comes on the market it is usually offered as Americana. It was the first chromolithography published in the United States. Chromo means color. Lithograph meaning printed from limestone.
It was all about how fast magazines, subscriptions and books could be produced and published. Hand coloring took tremendous time, talent and money. Printing in colors, from limestone plates, certainly would be less expensive… IF you had a GREAT lithographer. Each color was applied with an individual key stoned limestone plate.
Victoria Regia is in very good to excellent condition with bright colors, with some minor spotting. Measurements: 20 1/2 x 26 1/2. 16 pages + one-page index + 6 full size color plates. Click here to contact us about this collection. Browse more antique prints of lilies and water lilies.
Victoria Regia or The Great Water Lily of America by William Sharp & John Fisk Allen, 1854.
This rare collection of beautiful antique chromolithographs is the work of William Sharp and John Fisk Allen. Entitled Victoria Regia or The Great Water Lily of America. The book was printed and published in Boston for the author John Fisk Allen. All the stages of botanical development are clearly illustrated. Exquisite details are beautifully executed. This species or Great Water Lily of America was of interest to everyone.
The book was issued in paper wrappers. The contents include: Cover, Title, and Text pages. There is a brief account of the discovery of this lily. There are additional descriptions on the cultivation. Magnificent illustrations by William Sharp are the first of it’s kind produced in America. The illustrations were taken from specimens grown in Salem, Massachusetts.
Own one of the greatest pieces of Americana ever published.
William Sharp came to Boston from England in the late 1830’s, and dove into printing colors from limestone plates-or lithographs. He was proficient with incredible detail and use of color. He was a natural at his profession and produced five of the 6 plates. John Fisk Allen did only one. Can you guess which one is Allen’s?
When this rare book comes on the market it is usually offered as Americana. It was the first chromolithography published in the United States. Chromo means color. Lithograph meaning printed from limestone.
Producing early subscriptions was all the rage in early America. It was all about how fast magazines, subscriptions and books could be produced and published. Hand coloring took tremendous time, talent and money. Printing in colors, from limestone plates, certainly would be less expensive… IF you had a GREAT lithographer. In the process of printing in colors from limestone plates, a special kind of limestone needed to be procured to create a lithograph. Each color was applied, in a separate process, with an individual key stoned limestone plate, just for that color. A fascinating study in itself.
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