Plate, Lithograph

Artifact

Accession Number:
2015.1.163
Description
*Picture/Text Block* Tongue and groove rectangular wood block with an attached zinc plate. Front: Zinc plate has blue tinge and is a combo of recessed and relief areas, pictures mainly raised and text is recessed, except for star/line design in the bottom half where words are in relief and the design is recessed. Along the top 33.3cm wide by 13.5cm long is the relief design of a skyline on a very slight down and right diagonal. Left side starts 9.5cm long and gradually grows to 13.5cm long to give buildings a scale so those towards the right appear closer. In the buildings there are several small lines that represent windows and 4 separate pieces of text. Beginning on the left 1cm from the left edge and about 4cm from the top, are the words ( all text is written backwards ) "BROADWAY" centered over "SLIM McCLORY" which is surrounded by an oval with dots (billboard-esque). The second text is 7cm from the left edge and 4.6cm from the top and consists of "HOLLYWOOD" written vertically down the fifth building, with "SLIM MURRAY" etched underneath and surrounded by a rectangle with "IN PERSON"etched in an arc over the top right corner of the rectnagle. The third text piece is 16.5cm from the left edge and 4.7cm from the top edge. Also billboard-esque "LONDON" is centered over "MUSIC HALL" which in turn is centered over "SLIM McCLORY", surrounded by 2 rectangle 3.5cm wide by 2cm long and surrounded by etched dots (billboard lights). The fourth text piece begins 25.3cm from the left edge and 6.4cm from the top edge. "SLIM McCLORY" again surrounded by a rectangle (billboard) with dots (lights) approximately 4.5cm wide by 0.5cm long, but also has "PALACE" etched vertically on the 10th (and farthest to the right) building. Below the skyline is a strip approximately 4.5cm long by 33.3cm wide (recessed with linear grooves) with 7 stars, about 1cm by 1cm, done in relief. Recessed area also carries down the left edge approximately 7cm by 5.5cm wide and narrow to 3cm wide, and down the right edge 4.5cm long and 2.5cm wide then widening to 3.5cm at the bottom. Left edge has 3 more relief stars. This recessed area, strip and sides, forms the top border around a main billboard design measuring 25cm wide (top/bottom) by 18cm long (right side) by 13cm long (left edge). Etched inside this relief billboard are the words (arched) "IN PERSON" approximately 14cm wide by 2.5cm tall and centered at the top. Below this is "McCLORY" 10cm tall by 23.4cm wide (tallest and widest points). Letters get slightly smaller as you move left so that the "Y" is only 4.7cm tall. Above the lower case "C" and partially over the upper case "M" and "C" is a rectangle 6.8cm wide by 2.5cm tall (border and word in relief, remaining area inside is recessed) with "SLIM" inside 5.5cm wide by 1.5cm tall. Rectangle is on an up and left diagonal. Final text in thiss billboard, below "McCLORY" reads "STAR OF STAGE-- RADIO -- TV -- RECORDS" 24.2cm wide by 1cm tall. Immediately surrounding this billboard is a continuation of the recessed strip to form an approximately 1cm gap (6.0cm up from the bottom left corner, continues for 26.6cm and up the right side 14cm. Surrounding this gap is a relief strip measuring 8.2cm long (left) by 29.8cm wide by18.5cm (right). This strip is approximately 2.5cm tall across the bottom and has 2 points of a star cut out about 6cm in from the left. Etched into this strip are 10 0.5 by 0.5cm stars, one on the right, 6 along the bottom and 3 down the left. Below this is a final recessed strip with a star design. Strip is 4.5cm long by 29.5cm wide. Star design is 5cm in from the left (left point is not visible) and measures 10cm long by 9.5cm (at the widest and longest points). Etched in relief within the star are 5 text lines centered above one another reading : 1. "Starring" in cursive (1.5cm long by 5.5cm wide) 2. "JEANNIE" (2.1cm long by 6.5cm wide) 3. "WORLD'S ONLY LADY" (0.5cm long by 88cm wide) 4. "FIRE" (0.7CM LONG BY 2CM WIDE) 5. "EATER" (0.7cm long by 2.4cm wide). Text within the star is etched in relief on an up and right diagonal. At the end of the recessed strip is a rectangle (8.2cm wide by 3.3cm long) where zinc plate has been removed, approximately 1.3cm from the end of the strip. The final section of this block is a relief border which follow the star strip across the bottom and then moves up the left side: Measurements--essentially split in two triangle like shapes, one along the bottom 10.5cm tall by 27cm wide (bottom) by 28.6cm long (diagonal) minus 2 recessed star points near the left edge; and one along the right edge 5.7cm wide (bottom) by 24cm long (diagonal) by 23.5cm tall (right edges). The final etched words (in the triangle along the bottom) reads "TONS of EQUIPMENT" 1.4cm long by 15cm wide and ends 1.6cm from the left edge and 1.7cm from the bottom edge. Nails are visible where zinc plate has been attached. There are 3 more sections where zinc plate has been cut away: 1. along the very top edge following the skyline. 2. Leftside-- 10cm down from the top left corner approximately 9.5cm long by 2cm at the widest point. 3. Right side--13.7cm down from top right corner approximately 6cm long by 3cm at the widest point. Sides: plain wood with slightl residual ink stain near zinc plate. Back: additional backing has been attached to the back measuring 30.3cm wide by 33cm long. Backing appears to be a cross between cardboard and wood, but isn't solely one or the other. There is an orange circular sticker with "31" marker on it in black and has packing tape over top of it, in the top right corner of the backing. 2 parallel red ink lines 5cm long in the top left corner of the main block, approximately 0.5cm fro the top edge.
Materials
Wood (basswood or pine) and zinc
Measurements
43.4 cm L x 33.3 cm W x 3.3 cm H
Marks/Labels
;"IPEU 983" etched into wood in the top right corner surrounded by a diamond on top of a rectangle.
Category
Printing T&E