Collection: Earl Washington

The maker of these prints is E.M. Washington, who made "original" woodblock copies of prints by the famous printmakers who were supposed to have been the friends of his alleged great-grandfather (also E.M. Washington). Each of these prints is signed "E.M. Washington," which though said to be by the great-grandfather is certainly the signature of the great-grandson, and they are "dated" fraudulently when they were supposed to have been printed, a clear misrepresentation.

Although this collection is the product of an art scam, the prints are most interesting in that history. The eagerness with which they were initially accepted speaks to the growing modern interest in the work of early African-American artists and artisans. Though we know now that they not what they seemed, these prints are still very good "original" copies of some very fine wood block prints, especially those of African-American figures and subjects.