Tom Sawyer Detective by Mark Twain: 19th C. Framed Colored Poster
This lithographic colored advertising poster entitled "Tom Sawyer Detective, A New Story by Mark Twain" was created by Edward Penfield in 1897 for Harper & Brothers. The artist's signature appears in the plate in the lower left. The poster depicts a man in a long black bathing suit sitting with his knees up, aimlessly smoking a cigarette, but looking out of the corner of his eyes at a woman in a olive green dress and tan blouse and a black hat, who sits to his left with her head propped in her left hand and a bored or concerned look on her face. The look on the faces of the couple creates an air of mystery. The title of the book is printed in red in the upper left and the issue "Harper's August" in bold letters in the lower poster.
Creator: Edward Penfield (1866 - 1925, American)
Creation Year: 1897
Dimensions: Height: 27.38 in (69.55 cm) Width: 21.5 in (54.61 cm) Depth: 1.63 in (4.15 cm)
Medium: Lithograph
Condition: See description below.
Reference #: 4694
This lithographic colored advertising poster entitled "Tom Sawyer Detective, A New Story by Mark Twain" was created by Edward Penfield in 1897 for Harper & Brothers. The artist's signature appears in the plate in the lower left. The poster depicts a man in a long black bathing suit sitting with his knees up, aimlessly smoking a cigarette, but looking out of the corner of his eyes at a woman in a olive green dress and tan blouse and a black hat, who sits to his left with her head propped in her left hand and a bored or concerned look on her face. The look on the faces of the couple creates an air of mystery. The title of the book is printed in red in the upper left and the issue "Harper's August" in bold letters in the lower poster.
Creator: Edward Penfield (1866 - 1925, American)
Creation Year: 1897
Dimensions: Height: 27.38 in (69.55 cm) Width: 21.5 in (54.61 cm) Depth: 1.63 in (4.15 cm)
Medium: Lithograph
Condition: See description below.
Reference #: 4694
This lithographic colored advertising poster entitled "Tom Sawyer Detective, A New Story by Mark Twain" was created by Edward Penfield in 1897 for Harper & Brothers. The artist's signature appears in the plate in the lower left. The poster depicts a man in a long black bathing suit sitting with his knees up, aimlessly smoking a cigarette, but looking out of the corner of his eyes at a woman in a olive green dress and tan blouse and a black hat, who sits to his left with her head propped in her left hand and a bored or concerned look on her face. The look on the faces of the couple creates an air of mystery. The title of the book is printed in red in the upper left and the issue "Harper's August" in bold letters in the lower poster.
Creator: Edward Penfield (1866 - 1925, American)
Creation Year: 1897
Dimensions: Height: 27.38 in (69.55 cm) Width: 21.5 in (54.61 cm) Depth: 1.63 in (4.15 cm)
Medium: Lithograph
Condition: See description below.
Reference #: 4694
The poster promotes a new book by Mark Twain that was published initially in two issues of Harper's Monthly and also in book form by Harper & Brothers in 1896. It is a sequel to "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", published in 1876, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn", published in 1884, and "Tom Sawyer Abroad", also published in 1894. The plot of the book involves Tom Sawyer attempting to solve a mysterious murder. The story is told using the first-person narrative voice of his friend Huck Finn, who helps on the case.
This attractive Art Deco style poster is presented in an antiqued gold-colored frame with an ornamental raised geometrical design overlying a taupe background with a cream-colored mat. The frame measures 27.38" high by 21.5" wide by 1.63" thick. The poster and frame are in excellent condition.
Edward Penfield (1866-1925) was an American graphic artist who is considered the father of the American poster. He contributed to the evolution of graphic design in the late 19th and early 20th century. He is considered to be America's answer to famous European illustrators, such as Alphonse Mucha, Theophile Steinlen and Toulouse-Lautrec.