Thursday, January 20, 2011

A Beautiful Print Needs to be Authenticated

Another interest of mine is gardening and many items I've collected over the years have images of flowers.   I purchased this print for its sheer beauty, and then began learning about it.  I researched James Vick, Importer and Grower of Flower Seeds of Rochester, New York, and learned he was a merchant and printer in the 1800s, the owner of one of the first companies to market garden seeds to the general public.  He also gave out prints as premiums with seed purchases, and his printing company was another successful business venture.  However, there are some elements of this lovely bouquet (complete with tiny numbers,  presumably citations for his sales catalogue) that indicate this may be a beautiful fake that did not come from Vick's workshop.  First it is  larger, at about 16 by 19-1/2 inches, than Vick's premium posters.  Second it has a "funny" date in the lower right-hand corner - although that may be a reference to a particular catalogue from which all these varieties of flowers were sold.  It is not a new fake - no dot matrix - but could it be a 19th century one from someone trying to trade in Vick's success?