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Night Watch

1929
(American, 1882–1971)
America, 20th century
Canceled woodblock
Overall: 20 x 13.7 cm (7 7/8 x 5 3/8 in.)
Gift of the Artist 1933.99
© Courtesy of Plattsburgh State Art Museum/Estate of Sally Kent Gordon.
Catalogue raisonné: Jones 34; Zigrosser 33
Location: not on view
This artwork is known to be under copyright.

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Description

Rockwell Kent produced this woodblock for the print Night Watch, while the electrotype of the plate was used for book printing. Electrotyping employs electricity and a chemical solution to create exact metal copies of three-dimensional objects. Many industrial printers in the 1800s used electrotypes to protect original printing blocks from wear, to allow for the parallel printing of several copies of the same page, and even to sell an illustration’s rights to other companies, establishing an early precedent for today’s stock images. After the initial printing, lines were scratched across the images; this canceling eliminates the potential to make new prints and pass them off as originals.
Night Watch

Night Watch

1929

Rockwell Kent

(American, 1882–1971)
America, 20th century

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