Title in Caroline Armington’s etching record book: Le Pont Notre Dame, Paris

Year: 1919, 1920

Number: 219

Size:

States: 5

Title on Print: Le Pont Notre Dame, Paris

Initials or Signature and Date in Plate: 1920 and C. Armington 1920 l.r.

Planned Edition: 100

Total Number of Impressions: 115

Numbers in Pencil:

One ‘’Bibliothèque Nationale’’not numbered

One dedicated ‘’To The Cleveland Museum of Art from C.A.’’ not numbered

Trial print x?/15

25, 38, 51,59, 70, 76, 86, 88/100

Signature in Pencil: Caroline Armington

Dedication:

‘’To The Cleveland Museum of Art from C.A.’’

‘’To dear Carrie Smith from Carrie, in memory of your visit to Paris, August 4th, 1934’’ numbered 88/100

Caroline Armington’s etching record book contains the following notes for this print:

1st state 1 print

2nd 1

3rd 1

4th 12 No 12/12?

5th No 1 to 21 inc.

No 1/15 to 15/15 trial prints 15

Numbered 1 to 71 out of 100, From 72 to 100 printed by the Louvre printer

Feb 25 1931 Plate purchase by the Chalcography du Louvre

Numbered 1 to 100

Receipt from Mr. Henri Verne through Mr. Augoulvent

No 88 given to Carrie Smith of Brampton Aug. 4 1934

Price in Caroline Armington’s etching record book: none

Plate: The plate was purchased by the Chalcographie du Louvre in February 1931.

The plate is still in the collection of the Chalcographie du Louvre. It has been steel plated.

The Chalcographie du Louvre is producing prints from this plate which are sold by the Louvre museum.

Collections:

BNF

Dallas Museum of Art, Texas, USA

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Musée du Louvre Atelier de la chalcographie

Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

PAMA

Exhibitions:

Publications:

Comments:

One of the seven (7) Caroline Armington’s plates in the collection of the Chalcographie du Louvre (CA-219, 222, 226, 227, 233, 239 and 254).

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In 1931, Paul-Jules Angoulvent was the Curator of the Chalcographie du Louvre (the museum’s copper-plate engraving department). While Henri Verne was the overall Director of National Museums, Angoulvent managed the department that specialized in the production and preservation of prints from original copper plates.

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This plate (which has been steel plated) is still used today to produce contemporary prints sold through the Louvre's Boutique. 

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These prints (which are not numbered and not signed) should normally feature the distinctive Chalcographie du Louvre blind stamp (an embossed seal) in the margin, which distinguishes them from the limited editions Caroline prints.

This blind stamp has been mandatory since the 2nd Empire (1852). Nevertheless, we have found some prints without it.

These prints also have the following typed inscriptions printed at the bottom: CAROLINE ARMINGTON – CHALCOGRAPHIE DU LOUVRE – EAU FORTE ORIGINALE.

Some others without the blind stamp have the following typed inscription ''Caroline Armington'' and printed inscription: ''Reproduction imprimée – Chalcographie du Musée du Louvre''.

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Steel-facing or steel plating involves a micro-thin layer of iron/steel applied through electroplating. This makes the surface hard enough to withstand

hundreds or even thousands of impressions without the copper wearing down.

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