Lot 269
North America, United States, 19th century CE. Games anyone? A fun group of four antique American prints, each one depicting a different indoor game, including "The Chess Players" from Harper's Weekly (December 19, 1874); "Paul Morphy Playing Eight Games of Chess Without Seeing the Boards, at the Cafe de la Regence, Paris" from Harper's Weekly (November 13, 1858); "At The Bowling Club - Rolling for a Ten Strike" - Drawn by Frank O. Small" from Harper's Weekly (March 19, 1892); and "The Billiard Match Between Slosson and Vignaux - Cheering the Victor - from a sketch by G.W. Foster" ca. 1880. All four are set in custom mattes with protective cellophane windows. Perfect for any fan of chess, bowling, and billiards! Size of "The Chess-Players" image: 9.125" L x 11.25" W (23.2 cm x 28.6 cm) Size of page: 10.875" L x 15.75" W (27.6 cm x 40 cm)
Two of these prints have particularly interesting historical value, as they depict important figures - Paul Charles Morphy, Maurice Vignaux, and George F. Slossom. Paul Charles Morphy (1837-1884) was an American chess player, a child prodigy who was also known as "The Pride and Sorrow of Chess" because he retired at a very young age. Interestingly, Morphy defeated visiting Hungarian master Johann Lowenthal in a three-game match when he was only 12 years old. In April of 1880, Maurice Vignaux (French, 1846-1916) and George F. Slosson competed for the world championship title straight rail in Paris, and Vignaux won. According to the article "George F. Slosson, Billiard expert" posted by Dimoskostakos in Billiards Posts (August 1, 2013), "The night that Vignaux defeated him (Slosson) in the fourteen-inch balkline tournament at Central Music Hall, Chicago and set a new mark of 75 as an average, he stood by holding his cue and watching the big Frenchman perform. As it became evident that Vignaux was that night in perfect form and as he reeled off shot after shot with an easy grace, he came over to where I was sitting at the reporter's table and with a laugh remarked: 'Can you hit him with a club Dick? That is the only way that you can stop him!! I have seen him before and know what he is capable of doing when he gets one of his spells.' Slosson was apparently a bit dazed by the Frenchmans brilliant execution and coming over to the table again he remarked: 'He is playing some billiards tonight isn't he?' And surely was and Slosson was the first man to congratulate the victor."
Provenance: private Colorado Collection; Private Collection of a Private Colorado Family
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#166608
- Condition: Bowling Club: slight toning Signed "Frank O. Small" in the plate. Slosson & Vignaux: slight toning and trimmed edges. Paul Morphy: normal toning and minute nicks to edges of the page. Chess Players: slight toning and nicks to the edges. All are set in custom mattes. Slight stains and wear to edges.
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