Thomas Nelson - Five prints of landmarks of Brighton, Sussex and a print of Burlington House

5 prints of Brighton from Thomas Nelson’s English Scenery (1892)
& 1 print of Burlington House, Piccadilly, London; all mounted

Thomas Nelson: The Scottish publisher, Thomas Nelson was famous for his chromolithographic views. Among these the most notable were his two great series, English Scenery (1891) and Souvenir of Scotland (1895). The complete series of Souvenir of Scotland contained 120 miniature views detailing the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, the scenery along the Clyde, the Trosachs, Loch Lomond, the West Highlands and of Southern Scotland. The amazing detailing combined with the myriad of shades and colours places each of Nelson's views in the front rank of fine art colour lithography.

Chromolithography: The exacting art of colour printing from lithographic stones originated in Europe during the middle 1830's. These colour prints revolutionized artistic culture, with images ranging from the fine arts of topographical and botanical images to fashion plates and advertisements. Publishers throughout Britain and the United states created fine chromolithographic city views and landscapes during the second half of the nineteenth century.

Mounted and wrapped in cellophane.
Printing techniques reached their greatest heights at the time this original chromolithograph was made. Unfortunately, the much cheaper advances of photo- mechanical processes sounded the death knell for the chromolithograph in the early twentieth century. Yet, as one can see from this original example, the chromolithograph was without equal in its detailing and in its deep and rich oil based colourations.