1918 Rotogravure WWI Albert France Church Leaning Virgin Mary Statue Legend YNY4
This is an original 1918 double-page sepia rotogravure of British troops passing the ruined Basilica of Notre-Dame de Brebières in Albert, France. The church was once topped with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary, but after shell fire in 1915 the church sustained damage and the statue was left leaning precariously. The inset image in the bottom right corner shows the church at an earlier point of the war with the leaning figure of the Virgin. This gave rise to the belief among the Allied soldiers that the fall of the Virgin would signal the end of the war and in 1918 after more shelling the statue did fall and the "War to End All Wars" finally ended.
CONDITION
This 96+ year old Item is rated Very Fine ++. Light aging throughout. Original portfolio crease. No surface rub. No water damage. There are several staple holes along the original center crease. Please note: There is printing on the verso. This item will be shipped folded along the original crease.
- Product Type: Original Rotogravure; Sepia
- Grade: Very Fine ++
- Dimensions: Approximately 20 x 15.5 inches; 51 x 39 cm
- Authentication: Serial-Numbered Certificate of Authenticity w/ Full Provenance
- Protection: Packaged in a custom archival sleeve with an acid-free black board (great for display, gift-giving, and preservation)
Period Paper is pleased to offer a collection of historic rotogravures from the last year of World War I. This global conflict, known as the Great War (and sometimes as "The war to end all wars"), was centered in Europe beginning 28 July 1914 and lasting until 11 November 1918, and ultimately involved all the worldÕs great powers and cost millions of lives.
About Rotogravure: Rotogravure is a printing method using a rotary press with intaglio cylinders which allows for very high quality halftone reproductions to be printed at high speed on inexpensive paper stock. Newspapers, beginning with The New York Times, were able to make effective use of this technology, and many published regular rotogravure pictorial sections in their publications during the early 20th century.
YNY4A11B7C18