Antique Victorian Chromolithograph of Pocahontas Saving Captain John Smith 1874

Dating to the late 1800s may I offer this splendid unframed chromolithograph that I took from The Discovery and Conquest of the New World by Washington Irving. The book contained only 11 color illustrations and this is one of them. On offer now is the best of the bunch - a 2 page high color beauty depicting Pocahontas saving the life of Captain John Smith. The chromo depicts Chief Powhatan attempting to execute Captain John Smith by clubbing him to death, but he is prevented from doing so by his bare breasted daughter (Pocahontas) who throws herself between the two adversaries. John Smith had been captured two months earlier---the incident having taken place in Virginia in 1608. He recounts his adventures in his memoirs in 1624. The story has never been authenticated, but the event has, nevertheless, become a permanent part of the annals of American historical folklore.

The Native American princess, associated with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, is famously said to have intervened to save the life of pioneer Captain John Smith. Later captured by the English during Anglo-Indian hostilities in 1613, she was held for ransom but during her captivity she converted to Christianity, took the name Rebecca and married an Englishman, John Rolfe (not the John Disney would have us believe). She left her home in Virginia to travel to England and became a regular at the court of King James. In 1617, the Rolfes set sail for Virginia, but Pochahontas was taken ill and died near Gravesend.

Printers Marks: Copyright F. Tuchfarber & Co., 1874 - after the drawing by V. Nehlig, by courtesy of the owners of the copyright.
The Tuchfarber Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, was established by Frank Tuchfarber in the late 1800s. At the time Tuchfarber Co. had made a name for themselves for making lithographs on both paper, metal, and glass as well as manufactured enamel iron show cards. Eventually they changed the name of the business to F. Tuchfarber. The Tuchfarber Company eventually stopped production and closed it’s doors for good in 1900.

Condition: Excellent high color - the 2 pages are joined at the center with an extra bit of paper but the two pages have separated near the bottom. This piece should be framed as quickly as possible and yes, the framer can join the two pages so well that you will never see the split.

Size: The 2 pages together measure 14-1/2" x 10" approx. Margin at the bottom is 1"; along the sides just under 1/2".

Final Comments: Stunning!

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Even if not marked as such, offers are always welcome on any item in my shop. Buy with Confidence, Robins Nest Midwest has the highest rating attainable on Ruby Lane.