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Thames Police

Impression: Freer Gallery of Art
Freer Gallery of Art
(1898.275)
Number: 53
Date: 1859
Medium: etching and drypoint
Size: 153 x 229 mm
Signed: 'Whistler.' at lower right
Inscribed: '1859.' at lower right
Set/Publication: 'Thames Set', 1871
No. of States: 6
Known impressions: 81
Catalogues: K.44; M.43; T.43; W.42
Impressions taken from this plate  (81)

TECHNIQUE

This is mostly etched, with light drypoint additions, mainly in the sky.

PRINTING

Over eighty impressions have been located. It is undoubtedly hard to distinguish the published editions, partly because the plate gave uniformly good impressions.
About 1862, Whistler recorded either the number of impressions printed, or more likely the number of impressions of some etchings in stock: 'Limehouse 10. / Tunnel pier 2. / Black Lion 8. / Graveur - 2 /Thames Police. 20 / Tyzack 5.' 14

14: [May 1862/1864?], GUW #12745, p. 38.

The majority of impressions are in black ink, though an impression of the first state acquired by Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904) is in dark brown ink, on browned ivory laid paper, giving it a much warmer appearance (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440101). Other papers include 'modern' (post-1800) laid paper with 'HODELIST' or 'HUDELIST' watermark (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440203, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440218); wove paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440206, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440209); and Japanese (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440211, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440213, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440z09, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440z16).
Many of the impressions printed for the Ellis & Green edition of 1871 were in black ink on laid paper with the DEDB (De Erven de Blauw) and beehive watermark (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440202, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440208, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440215), including fine impressions acquired by Constantine Alexander Ionides (1833-1900) (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440217 and Graphic with a link to impression #K0440215). Many other impressions are on laid paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440325, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440311, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440336) including a sheet watermarked 'KE' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440309) and 'J. Bouchet' (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440302); and paper removed from a book with blue edges (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440327). Other papers include ivory (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440401), cream (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440z11) and buff (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440303) wove paper; buff (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440305) and ivory (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440312, Graphic with a link to impression #K0440324) chine collé; and Asian papers including cream laid Japan (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440204) and soft buff paper (Graphic with a link to impression #K0440219).