The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
JOYS OF THE PRINT HOBBY.
Nh. KEPPEL TALKS OF COLLECTORS
AMI COLLECTING.

az NVDD1NAA"Vs
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Rattle Zines That Made y Dinerence OF Nearly
Seymour Hiaden ana Some
Countsrreits-Dcaiers who Love Their
Wares-The BeginninE OF an Experts Career
"Happy Is the man with q hobby, whatever
that hobby may be, but tho man with q hobby
for collecting old prints is the happlest man Of
them all"
This is not "a mixture of Mother Goose jim.
gle and Grcgorian chant done into Whitman
verso. 1t is merely tho opinion of a man who
thinks he ought to know something about tho
matter, since he Is q print collector himself.
Its not expected that the collectors of cracked
teapots and OF old tear bottles will agree with
him.
Probably there Is no man in this country who
knows moro about old prints and the collectors
OF them than does Frederick Keppcl OF this
city. There may be n difference Of opinion as
to tho happiness impaired by different hobbies.
but there can be only ono opinion as to the good
fortune Of n man who can bcguile Mr.. keppel
into talking on the subject no knows and loves
SO well. A representative of THE sun had such
n piece of luck the other day. One OF the re.
suits was n sight Of some of tho most famous
counterfeit prints in existence.
These counterfeits are the snare into which
not only amateurs but experts themselves
sometimes fall. The most remarkable one in Mr..
Keppels possession is of u famous Rembrandt
landscape known as "The Three Trees" Mr..
keppel has also an original print Of this sub
ject. The original is worth 5000. the counter
felt perhaps 80. And yet so wonderful is the
execution of the spurious plate that a collector
paid 81, 400 for tho print and was AL primmed
up with majestick pride" to have acquired what
he supposed TO be a fine original.
"It was a case OF the blind leading the blind
said MIR. Keppel. Tho print was imported by
Il dealer of unquestionable honesty. He had
bought it in London of another dealer, who
was also presumably honest. They believed
the print to be genuine. and tho Baltimore man
who bought 1t was as proud as a peacock to get
hold OF it. He talked to me n good deal about
1t, and W hen 1 happened to be in Baltimore he
showed it to me in great giee. l had seen the
originals in tho British Museum and elsewhere,
and had handled some myself. Still, this was
30 exact n copy that my memory alone would
never have made me suspect 1t. Nevertheless,
I:had an intuition, I felt it in my bones that
1t was not tho original.
Are you sure this is genuinei / said to the
man.
well. he made me an angry reply, intimat-
ing that l was moved by jealousy, 30 / said no
more. But he was evidently impressed by my
question, for he had the print examined by ex-
perts and 1t was pronounced a copy. When he
died there was a sale of his effects, and / bought
for 81 the print for which he had paid 81, 400.
Examine the two with a glass" said Mr.. Kep.
pei, placing the original and the counterfeit
side by side.
'You will sec that in the careful, fine work,
tho two are almost exactly identical. Tho
counterfeit has even copied these specks
caused by a slight defect in the 'varnish.' az
we call it. But. when you come to the free,
careless strokes with which Rembrandt has
etefchad in the clouds Won can saa the differ
ence. The counterfeiter, being Obliged to be
careful and Initiative, has lost the boldness of
Rembrandt's stroke; and here is one line which
as IL is in the original"
These few details, scarcely visible to tho
ference In the value OF the two printsl Such
are sH ieS !'o said Ms. q ke eppeSn" Pare some moro
counterfeits, and this time they como nearer
a aS%s; Hh Sir R ses@oa q! H RSessh 4 s' sarRson rs s Sni
the son OF a surgeon, he used to make etchings
days. He never thought Of exhibiting them,
much less of, selling them. Yet he is, as said
the master Of modern etching. One Of his land,
cred to be absolutely unsurpassed. The land
is the first rival in over 200 years il this one.
Now, some time ago there was a New York
stone mason, by the name Gr Barry. who made
COulIcTIellS Oh Tue ontTC UullpOHu dIu 11autn 8
well-known old Battleship Agamemnon.' The
counterfeits are easily distinguished Bile. even, by
any one who nod Is mot %sn AN e esPeIEs' but st they n probably o!
get when Seymour Haden saw them for the first
time. He came oyer here about 1889 TO deliver
under the Fifth Avenue HoteI-he is not there
now-who doubtless wished TO take adyan.
tage of the interest aroused by the visit Of the
etcher, put into his window prints OF these two
mour Haden.'
zone morning I was walking up the street
With With H msn: s Wh9; S3y nn,,g TbSy' a rs = e VERY lrSs:
downright. as well. When we came abreast OF
this shop window, he stopped short, rubbed his
~ saw at once, that there was something
remarks. He staiked into the shop. and brought
his stick down with a bang.
Somebody in authority was summoned, and,
WITHOUT g word Of explanation. Haden shook
" Take those things out OF your window.
Naturally. the man was tncensed by this
sudden, attack and he made an angry reply.
" Il don't want 20 hear u word exclaimed
Haden. I. want you to take those things out
of your window, and at once, too :,
I had not explained 10 the man. When he pn.
dcrstood the case, he was very profuse in his
ssRS!0tfh1s them ' aS at th Sns seinYHi a SGS; Sisn' ef ssTs f ss
that, q course. but he Was naturally INDIGNANT
oyer SI% the I GEsp, ,erI Hon w MILE Ss ! . am talking aSaaa ,S o.
fAahH
critical which were printed about his
work while he was here. He said to me that
the articles printed in the daily papers here
were much more able and Intelligent than
those in the London journals, and he requested
me TO express his compliments to the author OF
certain particular criticisins,
There seems continued MIR. KepPel, tic
be something in the collecting mania which de
stroys ones moral sense; in that direction, Of
least. II a collector cannot come honestly 10y
"p PRINT y sH w4ifh he S SGSs,n; hs So Tha most ae oon,
spicuous example was that OF a, Scotchmar
who had the freedom OF tho British Museum
collection and who proceeded to enrich hit
own collection from that source. Almost. Q
parallel OF such cases as this one are the In
6tances of dealers who became 30 in love Will
their possessions that they refuse TO part witt
one OF them.
such u man was old Mr.. Gowans, who
thirty years ago. had AN old book shop down
;n'SAssau street, Gowans bought and sold hii
Looks As any other dealer does, until finally
his wife had some money left TO her; enough u
support them comfortably. From that timt
bOnka. Every mnrninR he onened his shoI