Description
This is an original lithograph advertisement for Avlt & Wiborg, one of America’s leading manufacturers of lithographic and letterpress printing inks, designed by William Bradley in 1897. The fact that a major ink company commissioned Bradley speaks volumes—he was the most sought-after graphic designer of the era, earning the nickname “The American B” for his mastery of visual innovation, comparable to that of England’s Aubrey Beardsley.
The poster’s composition is quintessentially Bradley: unexpected, elegant, and utterly memorable. Two turkeys rest beneath an orange tree, rendered in Art Nouveau sophistication that transforms a commercial message into fine art. This is no ordinary product advertisement; it’s a statement about the company’s position at the pinnacle of American printing innovation. The color palette and precision of the lithographic reproduction showcase exactly what Avlt & Wiborg’s inks could achieve—a visual argument for their product’s quality.
Avlt & Wiborg operated from multiple manufacturing centers listed at the bottom of the print: Cincinnati, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and London. By the 1890s, they were central to the ink revolution that made color printing accessible to American designers and printers. Bradley’s choice to feature them was a vote of confidence in their product and their role in enabling the very innovations that his design work celebrated.
This original lithograph remains in very good condition, professionally acid-free conservation mounted and ready to frame. A museum-quality example of commercial art from the turn of the century, when great designers sold ink as eloquently as they sold beauty. Accompanied by Certificate of Authenticity.
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