Father Christmas printing block

Single Item

Held in our offsite storage facility

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A metalcut block (188 x 182 mm) mounted on wood, showing Father Christmas operating a printing press beneath mistletoe. Hanging in the background are some tools of the printing trade, including scissors and dividers, and there are stacks of bound books and printed pages to either side. The plate's clean condition suggests it has never been used.

Dates

Creation: fl. 1950-2000

Extent

1 box

Language of Materials

No linguistic content; Not applicable

Preferred Citation

Oxford, Bodleian Libraries [followed by shelfmark and folio or page reference, e.g. MS. 23613].

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Shelfmark:

MS. 23613

Collection ID (for staff)

CMD ID 23613

Additional Description

Abstract

Metal-cut engraved printing block depicting Father Christmas (Santa Claus) as a letterpress printer in a printing workshop.

Biographical / Historical

A commercial process-line block made from an original piece of artwork which may have been a print of a wood-engraving or a pen drawing that imitates an engraving. The style appears to be second half of the 20th century, but the artist is unknown.