Federal Art Project of New Mexico, WPA, 11 Proof prints from the Portfolio of Spanish Colonial Design in New Mexico, 1938

Federal Art Project of New Mexico, WPA11 Proof prints from the Portfolio of Spanish Colonial Design in New Mexico, 1938Black Ink on Genesse Linen 100% RagPrepared by the Federal Art Project of New Mexico of the Division of Women’s and Professional Projects, Works Progress Administration (WPA), Santa Fe, 1938 for the Portfolio of Spanish Colonial Design in New Mexico, edited by E. BoydIncludes:St. Joseph and Child Plate 9 in portfolioAnnunciation to the Virgin Plate 11 in portfolioSt. Rita Plate 12 in portfolioSt. Veronica Not in the final portfolio (original in Denver Art Museum)The Lost Child Plate 25 in portfolioSt. John Nepomuk Plate 39 in portfolioChrist Crucified Plate 26 in portfolioThe Holy Family Plate 28 in portfolioSt. Isidore Plate 30 in portfolioOur Lady of Guadalupe Plate 31 in portfolioThe Holy Trinity Plate 33 in portfolioSt. Roch Plate 36 in portfolioSt. Barbara Plate 41 in portfolioProof Prints: 17 x 11 in. (43.18 x 27.94 cm.), Portfolio: 14 1/2 x 11 1/2 in. (36.83 x 29.21 cm.) The Paul Rhetts Collection, New MexicoThese printer proofs were collected by T. Edward Hanley of Bradford, Pennsylvania, a Pennsylvania oilman who started collecting as an undergraduate at Harvard in 1917. He passed away in 1969. He amassed an important collection of art, books, and manuscripts which were donated to museums and universities in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco and Texas.These proofs were printed at the beginning of the portfolio in 1936 as experimental printings. They were later printed on heavier stock paper and watercolored by 45 watercolorists including E. Boyd who prepared the original text and watercolor studies for the plates. The woodblock engravings were made by the following six engravers: Fritz Broeske, Louie Ewing, Donald Cole, Frank Stevens, Manville Chapman and Steward Walker.The portfolio included 50 renderings of objects of art typical of Spanish Colonial heritage and 200 portfolios were completed. The text and woodblocks were composed and created for use in the printing with equipment of Rydal Press (Santa Fe), Whiteman Printing (Clovis) and the Gus Baumann Press at the Spanish American Normal School in El Rito.Additional prints from this collection have been donated in memory of T. Edward Hanley and his wife Tullah Hanley to the Spanish Colonial Art Society in Santa Fe and to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe and also to Sam Larcombe of Santa Fe who assisted me in the research of their origin. After years of speculation I discovered what the prints where while reading the book, “Treasures on New Mexico Trails” by Kathryn A. Flynn.–Bob Schmader