1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????

[JeanneCurt]

Hi,

I bought this copper etching mounted on a wood block yesterday for .25.  I wondered what it would have been used for.

There are some ink stains on the wood so I assume some kind of printing but there is almost no texture to to.  It is very smooth but is made up of tiny dots.

It measures about 1 1/2" X 2 1/2".

Thanks in advance for any information.

Jeanne

[Ipcress]

Well you've done alright for that price !

" F. Roy Dean was an amateur lepidopterist and taxidermist. He contributed several short articles
to Lepidoptera in 1918, including the description of two aberrant butterflies "

Lots of keen collectors in this field.

[mart]

Well,, Obviously it was part of a collection,,but is the moth itself copper or is the background copper !!  Almost looks like a photographic image !! And that date is 1919 !! I think you did well too !!

[JeanneCurt]

You are right..1918.  The top is one piece 1/8" or a little less that is mounted to the wood with little pieces that bend over.  The whole top is a series if tiny dots.

What would it be used for?
Jeanne

[mart]

Oh !!  So its done in the negative ??  The dots are done on the copper plate everywhere that is not the moth ??

[cogar]

I think what you have can be best explained by the following link, ….. so click on it and see what you think.

http://www.donaldheald.com/pages/books/27575/charles-magnus/montreal-original-copper-printing-plate-for-letter-sheet-view

[mart]

 1 1/2 X 2 1/2,,  wouldn`t that be kind of small for a printing plate ??

[cogar]

Mart,

That depends on what is being published.

Life magazine preferred publishing 1/2 to full page pictures. 

A Field Guide Manual for birds or moths identification purposes would only require small pictures in a size range of 1 ½” X 2 ½”. 
 
To wit:

[mart]

Mmmm,,, guess that would be about right for a scientific journal !!

[cogar]

Mart, I am a biologist so that was an easy guess for me.

Here is a page of moth photos.

[JeanneCurt]

Here is a close up photo of what I mean by the dot pattern.  There is no texture at all.

[Rauville]

Here's a good primer on the Halftone / Dot printing process.
http://www.metropostcard.com/techniques6.html

[mart]

Mart, I am a biologist so that was an easy guess for me.

Here is a page of moth photos.

They are interesting creatures !!

[JeanneCurt]

Thanks!  It seems to be the dot half tone.  It is an interesting little piece.

[ghopper1924]

Nice, and from my home state! Those moths are called "Underwings" because the forewing (top wing) mimics tree bark while the hindwing (underneath) is usually a bright color, often pink or orange. The flare of color is supposed to startle predators

Anyway, very handsome!