William H. Rease
Cornelius & Baker

Public Domain

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Lithographer William H. Rease American, c. 1818–after 1860, active Philadelphia 1844–1860

Printer Wagner & McGuiganAmerican, active 1845–1858

Publisher J. H. Colton & Co.New York, active c. 1854–1859

CultureAmerican

Titles

Cornelius & Baker

Date1856

PlacePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Alternate place nameNew York , New York, United States

MediumChromolithograph

DimensionsImage: 12 × 23 1/4 in. (30.5 × 59.1 cm)
Sheet: 18 1/2 × 26 5/8 in. (47 × 67.6 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by John C. Berryman, Charlie Chambers, Harry H. Cullen, Jr., Tom Gholson, Henry Hamman, Don Ison, Harry Jones, Joseph D. McCord, and Lester H. Smith in honor of Harry H. Cullen at "One Great Night in November, 1992"

Object numberB.92.14

Not on view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

PRINTS

DescriptionChromolithography enlivened not only artworks, but also advertising in the 1800s. Pennsylvania native William H. Rease was Philadelphia’s largest producer of lithographed advertising prints during the 1840s and 1850s. Christian Cornelius, a Dutch immigrant silversmith, founded the Cornelius lighting business in Philadelphia in 1827, which became Cornelius, Baker, and Company in 1835. By the 1850s, it operated this factory on Columbia Avenue, another on Cherry Street, and a store at 176 Chestnut Street.
Provenance[The Philadelphia Print Shop, Philadelphia]; purchased by MFAH, 1992.
Exhibition History"Classical Taste in America: 1800–1840," at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, April 29–July 24, 1994
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Inscribed below image: CORNELIUS & BAKER / MANUFACTURERS OF / LAMPS, CHANDELIERS, GAS FIXTURES, &C. / MANUFACTORIES: NO.[O superscript with period [.] underneath] 181 CHERRY STREET & COLUMBIA AVENUE & 5th..[th superscript with two periods [..] underneath] STREET / PHILADELPHIA

[no marks]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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