Titled and inscribed in stone: “The Arkansas Traveller / Designed by one of the natives and Dedicated to Col.S.C.Faulkner.” and “J.H. Buffords Sons Lith 141 Franklin St. Boston.” With music titled: “Arkansas Traveller: as originally played.” A fine impression in fine condition with full margins.
For additional information of the subject see: Cleota Reed, “On the Trail of the Arkansas Traveller.” in Imprint Vol. 20, no. 2 American Historical Print Collectors Society (Autumn 1995), 19-28.
Reed, an historian of ceramics, traces the history of this image both in folklore and fine art. Edward Payson Washborne painted the subject about 1856 and the painting was reproduced lithographically by Leopold Grozelier in 1859. A bill from the lithographer John H. Bufford documents the size of the edition and the agents engaged to sell it. This lithograph in turn served as the source for other lithographs published by J. H. Bufford’s Sons and Currier & Ives in the 1870s. This version, made between 1876 and 1880, is probably the best artistically and is discussed in detail in Harry C. Peters “American On Stone” (1931) pp. 121-124.