Early American Wood Engravers and Their Work

John Foster, Paul Revere, Gleason’s, Ballou’s, Harper’s, Leslie’s

Jul 29, 2009

John Foster of Boston is widely recognized as the first American to use a wood design as a printing block. He executed a portrait of Cotton Mather around 1670

The most celebrated engraver who used wooden blocks during colonial times was Paul Revere. He and John Foster were pioneers in this field until the rise of mass circulation of newspapers during the 1850s.

John Foster Made History With Cotton Mather Woodcut

According to print historian Gillett Griffin, the Mather print “remains unique for its time and place. Although crude, it has undeniable fascination, directness and sincerity. The simple bold contrast of black and white, together with the expressive delineation of the head, make a vivid American icon … it is a sound cornerstone of American printmaking”.

Seven years later John Foster produced a woodcut illustration for a “Map of New-England, Being the First That Was Ever Here Cut”, written by W. Hubbard and printed by Foster. This is undoubtedly the most valuable American woodcut, being worth thousands of dollars.

Paul Revere Engraved Psalms, Political Material

Although he was best known for his midnight ride to warn Boston that the British were coming, Paul Revere had other talents. In 1765 he published a book of Psalms tunes that contained his woodcuts. He created a woodcut of the Boston Massacre as well as many newspaper mastheads, book illustrations, broadsides and some religious material.

With the advent of mass newspaper circulation, many publishers abandoned the more expensive intaglio printing process and returned to basic woodcuts. Large wood engravings from this period before 1860 are sought after by collectors. Gleason’s and Ballou’s cuts generally took up half a page and were more mundane than the spectacular double-page woodcuts featured in Harper’s Weekly. These were mostly engravings of an historical nature, such as Revolutionary War battles and political events. Gleason’s published an extraordinary print of a Mississippi river boat taking on cotton. Ballou’s Pictorial published an allegorical series of the month which is very desirable to collectors.

By 1860, Harper’s Weekly was the major publisher in the field. Leslie’s had made its appearance but was a poor second in quality of illustrations as well as circulation.

How Wood Engravings Were Produced and Used

Boxwood from Syria was the best wood for engravers. Its end grain was very fine and hard, allowing for very delicate and precise lines. Unfortunately, since boxwood trees rarely grow very large, only small wood blocks were available. For example, a double-page illustration in Harper’s measured about 16” by 22” and required 36 wood blocks.

These blocks were tied together and cut to about an inch thick to conform to the depth of the type. As the design was completed the blocks were sent to the engravers, who sat at high tables and used magnifying glasses. They laboriously cut intricate grooves into the wood wherever required. It would take an expert engraver ten or twelve hours to complete a wood block about four inches square.

The copyright of the article Early American Wood Engravers and Their Work in Antiques & Collectibles is owned by Marie Brannon. Permission to republish Early American Wood Engravers and Their Work in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.