Lot of 5 finely and elaborately engraved, 1898 Silver Plated, Calling Card Size Copper Plates that both advertise and exemplify the work of the students at Hutchinson\'s Practical School for Watchmakers, Engravers and Opticians of La Porte, Indiana.
These wonderful and beautifully engraved Plates each measure approx. 3\" by 2\" and each is exquisitely and finely engraved to create examples of the work executed at Hutchinson\'s School. Each of the plates are finely engraved exposing the copper plate beneath the silver plating. These are exemplars - they are NOT printing plates but each present a positive image of the text or image that is engraved.
The first of the Plates features text is beautiful and elaborate fonts that reads \"Hutchinson\'s Practical School for Watchmakers, Engravers and Opticians / La Porte, Indiana\". The second plate appears to be a presentation piece given to a student of Hutchinson\'s School named J. K. O\'Dell. There is a central circle with enclosed text that reads \"Presented to J. K. O\'Dell / July 25, 1898\" this central device is surrounded by the names of fellow students and text that reads \"La Porte\". A third plate features a beautifully engraved view of the County Court House on La Porte, Indiana while a fourth Plate features an equally wonderful image of a woman riding a bicycle. The final plate features an image of a circus clown with a painter\'s pallet and brush in hand working on a very simple line drawing of a donkey. Text below the image reads \"as they see us\" referring to how students at Hutchinson\'s School believed they were perceived by others.
These finely engraved Calling Card size Plates are all very well preserved. Because of the substrate and the type of engraving, these plates are somewhat difficult to both photograph and to view. They must be held at a certain angle to the light in order for the outstanding craftsmanship to be properly observed. The engraving is beautiful and expertly executed and there is no damage, wear or repairs of any kind but as stated above the Image is difficult to view because of the nature of the silver plated surface. The scans below were taken at a very acute angle to a light source which allows the engraved Image to be visible but also resulting in the brilliant silver plated surface appearing dull. The surface, in fact, is a very bright and shiny silver plate. Suffice it to say that the engravings on these Plates are of the very highest quality as one would expect from a master Watchmaker, Engraver or Optician!!
Each of the Plates are well preserved with overall, light surface scratches to the silver plating. The scans below exaggerate this surface scratching and the Plates are much easier appreciated when observed \"in hand\" than when photographed. The La Porte Court House Plate has 2 areas of \"cloudiness\" to the surface that we have not been able to clean. The Image of the Clown Painter is somewhat difficult to view due to the manner of the engraving and the brilliance of the silver plated surface.
In 35+ years we have never encountered Engraved Copper Plates like the ones offered here. Obviously they were created to promote Hutchinson\'s Practical School for Watchmakers, Engravers and Opticians of La Porte, Indiana and they are in truth outstanding works of art executed by practical artists of the School.
A wonderful Lot of 5 finely and elaborately engraved, 1898 Silver Plated, Calling Card Size Copper Plates that both advertise and exemplify the work of the students at Hutchinson\'s Practical School for Watchmakers, Engravers and Opticians of La Porte, Indiana and a fantastic addition to any collection!!
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The amount quoted for Shipping & Handling is calculated by and is equal to the EXACT amount charged by the Post Office plus a $1.00 \"packing fee\" - the $1.00 fee is our only compensation for the virgin packing materials we use on all of our professionally packaged boxes as well as our cost for the salaried help that does most of our packing - as I am sure you can see, we make NO profit on the Shipping charges and, in fact, our costs are usually greater than the $1.00 fee. Please contact us if there are any issues regarding the cost of shipping.
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