South African Lithographs by Walter Battiss (12 Signed Prints)

Author/Illustrator: Battiss, Walter
Title: South African Lithographs: A Series of Twelve from Original Plates Each Copy Signed by the Artist
Publisher: None Stated
Date: ca. 1950
Place: None Stated
Dimensions: Folio, 38.5 x 31cm (Portfolio)

12 b/w lithographic prints, each signed and limited (107/150) in pencil by the artist. Originally intended as illustrations for a calendar E.L. Esson & Co. these lithographs depict landscapes and scenes from around South Africa, each image captioned with the place name it depicts. Another calendar like this was produced by Battiss for the publisher in 1948, with drawings of rock paintings. Lee van Bruggen in her bibliography of the artist gives the date as ca. 1950.

Copies of the portfolio in the Jack Ginsberg Centre for Book Arts archive list the month for each illustration as follows:

January: Burghersdorp, C.P.
February: Queen Street, Pretoria
March: Zastron, OFS
April: Johannesburg from Braamfontein
May: Louis Trichardt, N.Tvl
June: Messina, N. Tvl
July: Zimbabwe Rhodesia
August: Umtali, S. Rhodesia
September: Springfontein, OFS.
October: Oudtshoorn, Cape
November: Fauresmith, OFS
December: Johannesburg Skyline form University

Each of the lithographs have been professionally restored; washed, sized and lined with Japanese tissue. The portfolio itself has likewise been restored and new folding panels added where originals were missing.