Snapshots of the Past

Bald eagle / American Bank Note Co. – Vintage Wall Art

Bald eagle / American Bank Note Co., [c1859 or c1860] — antique engraving
Bald eagle / American Bank Note Co., [c1859 or c1860]. Antique engraving from the Historic Print Archive collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This rare antique engraving captures Bald eagle / American Bank Note Co. in remarkable detail. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Choose the framed print, ready to hang the day it arrives, or the unframed print for a frame of your own. It makes a striking addition to a living room, study or office, and a thoughtful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past has been bringing history to the wall since 2001, for tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Bald eagle / American Bank Note Co.

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Engraved as a bank note vignette, this bald eagle was a small decorative design meant to dress up paper money rather than stand alone as an artwork. The American Bank Note Company, formed in 1858 from several engraving and printing firms, supplied notes to banks across the country, and in the years before the Civil War many of those banks issued their own currency. Engravers kept stock vignettes like this one on hand so a bank could order an eagle without commissioning new work. The fine parallel lines that shape the feathers and the bird's stance show the precision the trade demanded at the time.

Created / published[c1859 or c1860]
Medium1 print : engraving.
GenreBank note vignettes 1850-1860.Engravings 1850-1860.
NotesNo. 61.
SubjectsEagles--United States--1850-1860.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan3,302 × 4,096 px · prints to 11 × 14 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-185734

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