The Worldwide Home for

Speciments of Ornamental Art

Woocomerce Filter

Category

Special Offers

Color

Price

$$

What is a Rare Print?

The phrases “rare print” and “original print” refer to some of our inventory that has been carefully removed from very old books. When we say “very old,” we are actually referring all the way back to the time of the first printing press and ranging to the early 20th century.

Books with similar images in them today are usually called “coffee-table books.” While one can certainly learn a lot from them, they are primarily for fun. However, an antique book from which we may get an original print was created for educational purposes. In fact, they were primarily picture-books used by the privileged to learn about the world. Like encyclopedias or even modern Google searches, the images in these books covered every imaginable topic: from ancient Roman architecture and tapestries to detailed drawings of plants and horse armor.

These prints were bound in books that had a broad range of sizes. For example, they could be as small as a page in a modern paperback book all the way up to exaggerated sizes that today’s publishers don’t even produce anymore. For example, in our gallery, we have the hardcover of a book that was over three-feet tall. So, the inventory we house on the walls of our gallery and in dozens of drawers here in Franklin, TN is filled with very old prints in nearly every conceivable size. That includes abnormally large wall maps, bigger than those found in classrooms today.

Something for Everyone

We have prints, maps, reproductions, and more for just about every budget. You’re not a collector? You don’t know what “rare prints” are? No worries! Come visit us and in about two minutes or less, you will understand exactly what a rare print and original map is. And if we teach you well, you will want to start collecting them too!

if you are a local or know you will be traveling to Music City, Franklin, or the middle Tennessee region, note that we host special events regularly. Some of these include guest speakers who are experts in various fields like history, medicine, horticulture, the Civil War, and so on. They will use rare prints and maps to educate guests on their topic.

To learn more, stop by and visit us or call 615-472-1980. We can also add you to the email list and notify you when those events are on the horizon so you can plan your trip around that time.

Make sure to include Franklin, Tennessee in your vacation packages!