Author Topic: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????  (Read 4994 times)

JeanneCurt

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1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« on: February 12, 2016, 11:51:49 am »
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

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2016, 01:23:15 pm »
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

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2016, 01:32:51 pm »
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

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2016, 01:42:42 pm »
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

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2016, 04:42:15 pm »
Oh !!  So its done in the negative ??  The dots are done on the copper plate everywhere that is not the moth ??

cogar

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2016, 05:20:37 am »
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

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #6 on: February 13, 2016, 05:37:22 am »
 1 1/2 X 2 1/2,,  wouldn`t that be kind of small for a printing plate ??

cogar

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2016, 07:12:00 am »
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

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2016, 07:27:40 am »
Mmmm,,, guess that would be about right for a scientific journal !!

cogar

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2016, 11:38:33 am »
Mart, I am a biologist so that was an easy guess for me.

Here is a page of moth photos.



JeanneCurt

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2016, 12:58:10 pm »
Here is a close up photo of what I mean by the dot pattern.  There is no texture at all.

Rauville

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2016, 02:31:22 pm »
Here's a good primer on the Halftone / Dot printing process.
http://www.metropostcard.com/techniques6.html

mart

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2016, 07:39:16 pm »
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

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2016, 10:05:05 pm »
Thanks!  It seems to be the dot half tone.  It is an interesting little piece.

ghopper1924

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Re: 1928 Copper Etching of a moth ????
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2016, 04:11:55 pm »
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!
"I collect antiques because they're beautiful."

-Broderick Crawford