Question ?

[bobbydeuce]

A friend of mine recently acquired this Punch litho stone collection and has no idea what it is worth or the history (not that he is interested in selling) I'm hoping some of the veterans can help.

http://photobucket.com/bobbydeuce

[jb007]

****, thats cool... i'm into art, but in no way a veteran of cigar smoking, but i want that stone tablet! its ****in' wicked...

you could get alot for those 3 pieces though imo, if advertised to the right market.

[El Presidente]

I am no expert but others here may be able to help.

Personally I woud pay 20K

[zuma]

I am no expert either... but IMHO it would be worth possibly the 20K the prez is offering ;-) and possibly more only if: i) it is a complete set (especially if for multicoloured lithos such those shown framed in the picture) and i) they are numbered, dated, and inscribed with the litho master's name.

[First Lady]

» I am no expert but others here may be able to help.

»

» Personally I woud pay 20K

You are not spending 20 K on a rock....... I am still waiting on my car honey... Remember don't make me upset LOLOL :-D

Lisa

[n2advnture]

» A friend of mine recently acquired this Punch litho stone collection and

» has no idea what it is worth or the history (not that he is interested in

» selling) I'm hoping some of the veterans can help.

»

» http://photobucket.com/bobbydeuce

That's pretty bad azz!

More pics please!

~Mark

[n2advnture]

I just found this after a quick search:

http://www.cubancigarshistory.com/lithog_stone.html

Based on what I've just read this morning and the fact that the images appear to be mirrored, I suspect that these stones were used to print boxes or paper advertisements of some sort.

I'd LOVE to have one!

~Mark

[n2advnture]

Just found this:

The Evolution of the Stone Lithography

Lithography or "chemical printing" revolutionized the printing industry. With lithography, it was possible to print hundreds of duplicate copies from a single image drawn directly onto a stone without reducing the quality of the image.

Alois Senefelder, a German printer, invented stone lithography in 1796. It is a planographic process, meaning that images images are not carved or cut into the printing stones. Rather, lithography is based on "the natural antipathy between water and grease."

Using a grease pen or crayon, the artist draws an image directly on the stone. Like all paper printing processes, the artist must draw a reverse image. Once the artwork is complete, the stone is doused with a slightly acidic solution called an etch. Next, the stone is rinsed with water; the acid solution sticks to the grease drawing but is washed away from the rest of the stone leaving only the image to be printed.

With the image set into the stone, a roller of black ink is applied to the

entire surface. The artwork, created with a grease crayon and set into the stone by the acid solution, retains the black ink while the rest of the dampened stone repels it. The stone is now ready for printing.

Chromolithography follows a similar process except instead of one stone, several different stones comprise a single print. With chromolithography, each section of the image must be dissected by color. The different colors make up the picture itself and complex prints could require as many as twenty different stones. A printer must know how each color will work together, in what order they should be applied, and finally, the print must remain in perfect registration so that colors do not bleed onto one another.

The lithographic printing industry in the United States grew in tandem with Tampa's cigar industry. While Ybor City was a center of hand-rolled cigars dependent on immigrant labor, New York was the hub of German lithography and lithographic printing houses. Many Germans settled in the Northeast United States, establishing printing houses in Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. In 1860, there were 60 lithographic firms in the United States employing 80 people. By 1890, there were 700 lithographic printing houses, employing 8,000 people. By 1890, the New York City directory alone listed 130 lithographic printing houses.

Chromolithography's ability to inject vibrant color into everyday scenes and images made it ideal for advertising. Color labels were affixed to

everything from peach crates to cigar boxes. According to one historian, "cigar advertising made up 80 percent of all lithographic printing in the U.S." People had gone, in the words of a 19th century lithographer, "picture crazy." Without a doubt, chromolithography became "the principle color medium for advertising" in America, coinciding perfectly with the development of mass-produced consumer goods.

[bobbydeuce]

$20k seriously ? I could arrange that, feel free to email me. maybe we can meet in Vegas.

» I am no expert but others here may be able to help.

»

» Personally I woud pay 20K

[bobbydeuce]

Theres rumor that Mr. Shanken had offered $15k to the original owner years ago, I believe my friend could be pursaded to sell if there is a serious buyer/collector. My original post was not to sell or create a bid situation, but merely to help a friend realize the value of his collection.

» I am no expert but others here may be able to help.

»

» Personally I woud pay 20K

[El Presidente]

Read Lisa's post.

You are not spending 20 K on a rock.......

I have been .....ah......neutered

[BobLobLaw]

»

» You are not spending 20 K on a rock....... »

» Lisa

If I were to send you my girlfriends email address you think you could please get her to agree with the above statement??? Right now I think she wants me to buy her the biggest most expensive rock possible. . . :-(