<div class="description">
<dl><dd>The sheaf of prints is held together by two staples at one of the shorter sides, the resulting spine then covered in brown paper. Title and series numbers of Actualités [65?] and [66?] are trimmed away; the conjectured numbers are based on the sequence of stone numbers. First digit of Actualité 31(?) printed indistinctly</dd>
<dd>Anonymous Gift</dd>
<dd>The prints are from daily issues of Le Charivari rather than from subsequently published albums, as versos are printed with advertisements, announcements, rebuses, concluding text of articles, etc. They are undated, but the years 1853 and 1854 appear in some prints, and are here taken as dates of publication. Subjects include French social life and customs (but not politics); the Crimean War (including personalities such as Nicolas I of Russia, as well as events); Harriet Beecher Stowe, who visited Paris in 1853, the year after Uncle Tom's Cabin was published; the Salon of 1853</dd>
<dd>The first sequence of 28 prints consists of full-page black crayon lithographs from the series "Actualités," which title appears at top center of each print with series number at top right. Cham's lithographed signature appears within image at lower left or right, together with stone number. The publisher Maison Martinet appears below the double line border, with address in two forms: 116 r. de Rivoli et 41 r. Vivienne; or: r. Vivienne 41 et du Coq 11. The printer is either: Lith. Destouches, 28, r. Paradis Pre. Paris; or: Imp. Ch. Trinocq, Cour des Miracles, 9. The present collection comprises Actualités 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 31(?) 33, 45, 46, 50, 55, 57, 59, 63, 65(?), 66(?), 67, 69, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76. They are bound in no discernible order, apart from the first 17 being horizontal in format, the last 11 vertical</dd>
<dd>The second sequence of 38 prints are wood engravings, arranged nine to the sheet in three rows of three, each with a caption beneath. Some are signed GILBERT or C GILBERT, for Cham's usual engraver Charles Gilbert. They are from various series, the titles of which appear at top center of sheets, all of which are vertical in format. Publisher and printer are not given. Series represented: Revue comique de la semaine, par Cham (14); Revue de la semaine, par Cham (2); Croquis variés, par Cham (7); Croquis par Cham (3); La saison des eaux, croquis par Cham, [...no. 2, ...no. 3] (3); La bourse illustrée, croquis par Cham (2); Croquis de carnaval, par Cham (1); Derniers souvenirs du carnaval de 1853, par Cham (1); L'oncle Tom à la recherche d'une nouvelle position sociale, croquis par Cham (1); A propos du steeple-chase, croquis par Cham (1); Première [Deuxième..., Troisième....] promenade à l'exposition, par Cham (3)</dd></dl><br>Subjects: Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia, 1796-1855; Stowe, Harriet Beecher, 1811-1896; Salon (Exhibition : Paris, France) (1853); Uncle Tom (Fictitious character); Crimean War, 1853-1856; French wit and humor, Pictorial</div>
<div class="fn value">
<dl><dd>Cham, 1819-1879, designer, lithographer</dd>
<dd>Gilbert, Charles, active 19th century, wood engraver</dd>
<dd>Maison Martinet (Paris, France), publisher</dd>
<dd>Lith. Destouches, printer</dd>
<dd>Imp. Ch. Trinocq, printer</dd></dl></div>
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