Additional information
| Year | ca. 1900 |
|---|---|
| Condition | VF |
| Engraver | G.F.C. Smillie |
| Paper | india die sunk on card |
| Size | 6" x 8" |
Theodore Roosevelt Die Proof Engraving on india on card BEP, signed by GFC Smillie
$200.00
This artwork is a large, oval engraved portrait of President Theodore Roosevelt, meticulously crafted by the engraver George Frederick Cumming (G.F.C.) Smillie. The piece captures Roosevelt facing forward, dressed in a formal three-piece suit and sporting his signature pince-nez spectacles. Below the vignette, Smillie’s distinctive signature is visible in pencil, identifying this as an autographed proof. Produced by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). Smillie, a master of his craft, was celebrated for his ability to translate the “dignity, force, and character” of national figures into the fine, detailed lines of steel engraving. Vignette measures approximately 2″ x 2.375″ on India paper mounted on card. Overall size of the card is 6″ x 8″.
George Frederick Cumming (Fred) Smillie was born in New York on 22 November 1854. Together with the stamp engraver Alfred Jones, His uncle James Smillie taught him the art of engraving. Smillie was so talented that at only 17 years, he was taken on as an apprentice by the ABNC, in 1871. Smillie left the ABNC in 1887, to go and work for his uncle William Cumming Smillie, at the Canadian Bank Note Co. However, Smillie did not enjoy working there so a year on he moved back to the United States and started working for Homer Lee Bank Note Co. Seemingly restless, he also worked for the Hamilton Bank Note Co. and the Western Bank Note Co., in the years 1890 to 1894.
Smillie finally settled down in March 1894, when he started working for the BEP. He became not only their Master Engraver but also the Head of the Engraving Department. Here at the BEP his career really blossomed and he became famous for being the finest engraver of both portraits and vignettes. His work for the allegorical design on the $5 US silver certificate of 1896 is regarded the pinnacle of his talents.
This is an ORIGINAL early twentieth-century die proof; not a reproduction or contemporary print. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.
