Big Trees of California. Height 435 Feet, Diamater 40 Feet.

1883 Griswold Chromolithograph Advertisment 'Big Trees of California'

Published by Publication Date: 1883

Very good. Size 10.5 x 13.5 Inches. A striking 1893 H.S. Crocker and N.W. Griswold chromolithograph illustration of Yosemite's giant sequoias advertising Kallidont (mouthwash) and Griswold's publication Beauties of California . A Closer Look The image is the work of the Swiss-American artist Emmanuel Wyttenbach, who signed it in the lower right. The view illustrates the famous Wawona Tree, a sequoia formerly in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite. The mighty tree tragically fell in 1969. The tree's remarkable 'tunnel' was cut through in 1881, just a few years before this view was printed. The tunnel was a scheme to draw tourism devised by the Yosemite Stage and Turnpike Company, who hired the Scribner brothers, loggers, to widen an existing burn-out scar. The passenger coach illustrated here is undoubtedly one of their carriages, and Griswold likely had a stake in the business. The enormous stump to the left, on top of which smartly dressed tourists marvel, was likely nowhere near the Wawona Tree. This image, instead, appears to be a composite of two images also published as separate images in Griswold's Beauties of California . A large advertisement carved into the side of the Wawona Tree promotes Dr. Merriman's Fragrant Kalliodont, a mouthwash manufactured in Alameda, California. The dentifrice was one of Griswold's side projects, and he served as the company's secretary. Chromolithography Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process uses multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Generally, a chromolithograph begins with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors are layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color can be blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda. Publication History and Census This image was drafted by Emmanuel Wyttenbach, commissioned by Norman Whitmore Griswold, and printed in chromolithograph by H.S. Crocker in 1893 to promote Griswold's various business interests, including his booklet Beauties of California and dentifrice 'Kalliodont'. This is the only known surviving example. Seller Inventory # BigTreesCalifornia-griswold-1883

Bibliographic Details

Title: Big Trees of California. Height 435 Feet, ...
Publication Date: 1883
Signed: Signed by Author(s)