Description
This original 1899 lithograph letterpress poster celebrates Ault & Wiborg, the Cincinnati-based company that revolutionized American printing ink production and helped transform the printing industry. At 11″ × 14″, it’s a beautifully preserved window into late 19th-century industrial innovation.
The story behind Ault & Wiborg is one of American entrepreneurship. Founded in July 1878 by Levi Ault and Frank Bestow Wiborg, the company boldly set out to become the world’s leading supplier of ink and lithograph supplies. What began in a small building on New Street in Cincinnati grew into a global enterprise with sales offices in Toronto, London, Buenos Aires, Shanghai, and Manila—all under their inspiring motto, “Hic et Ubique” (Here and Everywhere).
The company’s breakthroughs defined modern printing. By the 1890s, Ault & Wiborg pioneered the use of coal-tar dyes to produce brilliantly colored inks, breaking away from centuries of basic black. Their chemists—first a German named Rose, then Robert Hochstetter—developed the famous “U.S. Reds” and “Reflex Blues,” pigments so reliable they became industry standards. The firm also led innovations in lithography, rotogravure, steel die printing, and carbon papers.
This poster is a tangible piece of printing history, representing the moment when color, chemistry, and ambition converged to modernize an entire industry. In excellent condition and never linen-backed, it’s an authentic vintage poster that speaks to both collectors of business history and printing enthusiasts.
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