Strobridge Lithographing Co. Ivory ® soap advertisement, c.1884

It is no coincidence that this lithograph produced by the Strobridge Lithographing Company resembles Thomas Anshutz ’s paintingThe Ironworkers Noontime described in this journal [1]. Calling this lithograph art is justified by the phrase ‘good artists copy, great artists steal’ often attributed to Picasso – and the concept that advertising is an art form, which nurtures interest in new movements among huge audiences [2]. Lithography was invented after engraving and differed in two respects —it produced images from smooth surfaces and it permitted mass production of coloured images. Traditionally an artist drew on a limestone block with a greasy pen or chalk, this was washed with water and an oil-based ink applied with a roller. The hydrophobic ink fixed to the drawn area and was rep elled by the damp stone allowing images to be printed on paper. A chromolithograph is made using a separate stone for each colour. Chromolithographs became popular after the Civil War satisfying the desires of the growing middle-classes to own realistic copies of art.
Source: Occupational Medicine - Category: Respiratory Medicine Source Type: research