Colonial America
"The GREAT ELM on Boston Common" by L. Prang Lithograph on Wood Printed on a Slice of the Actual Tree
c. 1876, Commemorative Memento Lithograph on Wood, titled "The GREAT ELM on Boston Common", by L. Prang, printed on a slice of wood from the historic Actual Tree, Choice Very Fine.
On February 15th, 1876 "The GREAT ELM on Boston Common" was destroyed. To keep the spirit of this famous tree alive the Mayor of Boston, Samuel C. Cobb, and the printers at the L. Prang & Co created lithographs of the tree. They printed them on thin veneer pieces of the actual tree! This unique Prang lithograph measures 13.25" x 9.25 (by sight), framed to 17" x 13" with a painted design that looks like marquetry inlay. Below the image text reads in full; "As the Great Elm on Boston Common, with an age in years outdating the settlement of the Town, was destined to fall, by wind and decay, during the time it was under my guardianship, as the Mayor of the City, I can do no less than give the attestation of my name to certify that this is a perfectly correct view of it, just before it fell, and that the surface on which the photograph is presented is a veneer from the wood of the veritable, and venerable, tree. March 31, 1876, Samuel Cobb, Mayor of Boston." A most unusual commemorative memento of the historic Great Elm on the Boston Common. Nice for display as intended, and the first we have offered.