Colonial America
Three Rare Colonial Woodblock Printing Plates by Historical Printers Christopher Sower and Daniel Fowle
c. 1754-1767 Lot of Three Woodblock Printing Plates of Astronomical Images, by Noted Colonial Printers, Choice Very Fine.
These three original woodblock printing plates were used by colonial printers Christopher Sower (1693–1758) and his son, also named Christopher (1721-1784) of Germantown, Pennsylvania, and Daniel Fowle (c. 1715-1787), of New Hampshire.

The images depict astronomical events, and served as illustrations for almanacs of the period, as indicated by Elizabeth Reilly in “Colonial American Printers’ Ornaments & Illustrations” (1975). Each of these woodblocks were used to create illustrations similar to those reproduced in Reilly’s book--the original colonial prints, almanacs or pamphlets are housed at the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester.

The most impressive image is the large crescent moon with an emerging eclipse, with ordinal directions (N, S, W, O) and transecting lines. The image is similar to Reilly’s #1903, p. 471, produced in 1767 by Sower, Jr. The lot also includes a partial eclipse (similar to Reilly #1956, p. 479) produced in 1754 by Sower, Sr., and a ringed eclipse (#1959, p. 479) produced by Fowle in 1756. The largest woodblock is 2.5” x 2.5” x 1” thick, and the smaller blocks are aprox. 1.25” square, 1/2” thick. Each are expertly carved with relief images on their faces.

The Sowers founded a printing shop in Germantown in 1738, bringing typefaces imported from Germany, and printed the first German book in America, and the second Bible in America. The younger Sower established the first type foundry in America in 1772. Fowle was an active printer in Boston who fled to New Hampshire after being imprisoned for his political activism. In 1756 he founded the New Hampshire Gazette, which became the colony's sole newspaper at the beginning of the Revolution.

Here’s your opportunity to own printing woodblocks produced by colonial printers with exciting political heritages! Ex-Sotheby’s Sale 7683, June 26, 2001. (3 items)
Christopher Sower or Sauer, (1693–1758), was born in Germany and came to America in 1724. In 1738 he founded a printing shop in Germantown, Pa., using types imported from Germany. In 1738 he printed the first German book in America. In the same year he established the first German periodical in America, at first a quarterly, later a monthly. In 1743 he printed a German Bible, the second Bible printed in America (the first was the Bible translated into “the Indian Language” in 1663 by John Eliot). His son Christopher Sower, 1721–84, established in Germantown the first type foundry in America in 1772. He printed the second Sower German Bible in 1763, the third in 1776. He was a bishop of the Baptist Dunker sect and attacked slavery from the pulpit and the family newspaper. Accused of treason, Sower suffered imprisonment, abuse, and confiscation of his property as a result of clearly stating his pacifist principles during the Revolution.

Daniel Fowle (c. 1715-1787) was an American printer before and during the American Revolution. Fowle, a native of Charlestown, Mass., was an active printer in Boston, beginning in 1740. He printed or co-printed publications such as The American Magazine and The Independent Advertiser, and along with his business partner Gamaliel Rogers, he was the first to print Samuel Adams and the New Testament in the American Colonies. In 1755 he was arrested for printing a seditious pamphlet called "The Monster of Monsters." After his release he printed "A Total Eclipse of Liberty" in response to his arrest, and fled to New Hampshire.

In 1756, Fowle began the New Hampshire Gazette, which would become the colony's sole newspaper at the beginning of the Revolution, and for which he is most remembered.