$20 · Old Zinc and Magnesium Cuts / Engravings

For sale are a number of engravings of images, illustrations, government and commercial logos. Most of these engraving images are made of a thin sheet of magnesium attached to a block of wood. HISTORY Zinc and Magnesium cuts were used in letterpress printing to print an image, either text or a drawing or photo) onto paper. Formerly, all printing was done using letterpress and all images/illustrations and pictures were printed using these engravings. While many engravings were acid-etched into zinc or magnesium sheets, some were were etched by a mechanized process. The cuts or engravings for sale here were mostly acid-etched into zinc or magnesium blocks. Several of these engravings that were commissioned by various groups 3-40 years ago. A number of the engravings feature the iconography and images of First Nations people. PRICES: range from $20 for the small etchings, $50 for medium sized, over $100 for large very rare or very large etchings. CONDITION: Most of these cuts are between 30-40 years old. USES: The ink-stained time-worn appearance of these engravings reveals the technology employed by many decades of letterpress craftsmen who produced commercial and government documents and forms, newspapers, wedding and funeral invitations, and all forms of stationery essential for the functioning of society. The cuts/engravings are in excellent condition and make fascinating conversation pieces that reflect the era in which they were made. They can be framed individually or in eclectic groupings, used in sculpture, incorporated into art pieces, or used for letterpress printing. For more information and images see: http://www.ambrosi.ca/ambrosi-printers/letterpress-equipment-books/zinc-and-magnesium-cuts/