Horse Racing

[John Nost] Sartorius. "Hambletonian." London: John Harris, 1 November 1799. 14 1/2 x 19 1/4 (image) plus platemarks and complete margins. Stipple and etching by [John] Whessell. Hand colored. Excellent. Ref.: Lane, British Racing Prints 1700-1940, p.160.

Hambletonian (1792-1818) was one of the greatest race horses of the late eighteenth century and a famous stud in the early nineteenth century. Any turf devotee would place him among the top one hundred thoroughbreds of all times. He is not to be confused with the other British thoroughbred of the same name in the early eighteenth century, nor with the American harness race horse of the late nineteenth century.

A number of different portraits of Hambletonian were created during his life, and the most famous was a to-scale oil on canvas by George Stubbs. This beautiful print shows the jockey and trainer with the object of their affection, and below the image is a detailed biography of Hambletonian up to when he lost the only race of his career when he was so far ahead of the pack that he suddenly ran off the track. This print predates the 1 March 1800 Sartorius/Whessell portrait of Hambletonian in the Paul Mellon Collection documented by Dudley Snelgrove in British Sporting and Animal Prints 1658-1874, p. 153. A scarce print with strong strike and beautiful hand color. $1,400

William Nicholson. "March -- Racing." From An Almanac of Twelve Sports. London: William Heinemann, 1898. Ca. 7 3/4 x 7 3/4. Color lithographic transfer from wood block. Very good condition.

Sir William Nicholson (1872-1949) was an English artist well known for his unique style of woodcut prints. Beginning in the 1890s, he created posters with his brother-in-law James Pryde, using the pseudonyms J. & W. Beggarstaff. In 1897, Nicholson produced a woodcut print of Queen Victoria that was very well received and helped establish his reputation with the British public. About that same time Nicholson cut a series of wood blocks of An Illustrated Alphabet for publisher William Heinemann. Originally issued in a very small run of hand colored woodcuts, their popularity led to the images being transferred to lithographic stones and printed in a bound volume. Nicholson's style is instantly recognizable, with the broad strokes from his original woodcuts printed with subtle variations of earth tones, harking back to earlier British chap book illustrations. After the turn of the century, Nicholson turned more to painting, though he did continue to produce illustrations for several books. The prints from his alphabet volume offer a wonderful sample of Nicholson's vision and also of British culture at the end of the nineteenth century. $200
Go to page with other prints by William Nicholson

Currier and Ives Horse Racing prints

From 1834 to 1907 the firm of Currier and Ives provided for the American people a pictorial history of their country's growth from an agricultural society to an industrialized one. For nearly three quarters of a century the firm provided "Colored Engravings for the People" and in the process, because of the democratic philosophy of the business, became the visual raconteurs of nineteenth century America. In 1834 Nathaniel Currier established the firm which produced colored pictures using a then relatively new process called lithography. Some of the finest artists of the day, Louis Maurer, Thomas Worth, Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait, Frances Flora Bond Palmer, George H. Durrie, Napoleon Sarony, Charles Parsons, and J. E. Butterworth were engaged by the firm to produce a variety of images. The prints were printed in black and white and then the finest colors, imported from Austria, were applied by hand by women, most of German descent. They were then ready for both foreign and domestic distribution through a variety of means, one of which included push cart vendors who walked through the streets, prints tacked upon their carts, selling them for a few cents each.

The real success of the firm was initiated when the steamboat Lexington caught fire in Long Island Sound with more than one hundred lives lost. Several days later Mr. Currier was ready with a picture of the ship, together with a description of the disaster.

"Stella and Alice Grey. Lantern and Whalebone. 'Passing the stand.'" New York: N. Currier, 1855. Large folio 17 1/4 x 27 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Old tears and marginal wear; expertly conserved. Overall appearance and condition, very good. C:5811. $2,100
J. Cameron. "Toronto Chief, General Butler and Dexter. In their great race under saddles, over the Fashion Course, L.I. July 19th, 1866." New York: Currier & Ives, 1866. Lithograph. Original hand color. Large folio. 17 x 27 1/4. Some light spotting, but excellent color. Framed. C:6117. $2,200
Scott Leighton. "The Queen of the Turf Maud S, Driven by W.W. Bair." New York: Currier & Ives, 1880. Large folio. 18 1/4 x 28. Chromolithograph. Some light surface wear in margins. Overall, very good condition. C:5016. $2,600
James Cameron. "The Celebrated Trotting Stallion George Wilkes by Rysdyk's Hambletonian." New York: Currier & Ives, 1885. Small folio. 10 1/4 x 14 3/4. Some wear and short repaired tears in margins and a few marks in sky. C:931. $475
J. Cameron. "A Champion Race." New York: Currier & Ives, 1887. Large folio. 18 3/4 x 27 3/4. Chromolithograph. Laid down. Names of trotters pencilled in below title. Otherwise, good condition. In period frame. C:971. $1,600

"The Famous Roan Horse Capt. McGowan As He Appeared In His 20th. Mile." Brighton, MA: Samuel Emerson, 1865. Large folio. 18 x 26 1/2. Lithograph by J.H. Bufford, Boston. Short tear in right margin. Otherwise, very good condition. $1,600

"Dexter." New York: Thomas Kelly, 1867. Large folio. 17 x 24 5/8. Lithograph. Original hand tinting. Some very light stains. Overall, very good condition. $950

E.R. Howe. "Lady Thorn and American Girl -- Over The Fashion Course, L.I. May 4th. 1869." Boston: Haskell & Allen, 1872. Large folio. 18 x 25 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Some old, light stains and repaired tears into image. $650

Basil Bradley. "The Derby -- At the Starting Post." From The Graphic. London: June 1, 1872. 11 7/8 x 19 7/8. Wood engraving. $175

"Nettie. By Rysdyk's Hambletonian Dam, on American Star Mare." Ca. 1874. Small folio. 9 1/4 x 13. Lithograph. Original hand color. Uneven but ok margins. Very good condition. $250

E. R. Howe. "Great Eastern, as he Appeared in the Trio Races with Smuggler at Mystic Park, Boston,.." Boston: Haskell & Allen, 1877. Large folio. 17 5/8 x 25. Chromolithograph. Laid down. Some old, light stains, rubbing in sky and repaired tear at top. Overall, very good appearance and good condition. $750

"Mr. Frank Work's Celebrated Team Edward And Swiveller..." New York: Currier & Ives, 1882. Small folio. 7 x 13 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Some wear and stains in margin and title. Otherwise, very good condition. C: 4251. $450

"Opening Race at the Jerome Park, Fordham, New York, June 8, 1868." From Harper's Weekly. New York: June 27, 1868. 8 1/2 x 20 1/2. Wood engraving. $95

Benjamin Herring (1830-1871). "McQueen's Steeple Chasings. Green-Sleeves Leads the Way." London: G.P. McQueen, [1873]. Restrike. 17 1/16 x 30. Engraved by CHs. Hunt & Son. Hand color.

A beautiful and dramatic steeple chasing print after a painting by Benjamin Herring, the youngest of John F. Herring Sr.'s six children, many of whom, like Benjamin, followed in their father's tradition as sporting artists. $450

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