S.S. Great Northern-S.S. Northern Pacific

Currently not on view

S.S. Great Northern-S.S. Northern Pacific

Between 1916 and 1918

Roy C. Beck (American, 1893–1984) Printed by Selectasine Co., San Francisco (founded 1915)

Some crude forms of screenprinting were used for commercial purposes beginning in the nineteenth century in both Europe and the United States. It was primarily developed and refined as a commercial medium in this country, however, in the first three decades of the twentieth century. Several of the leading firms were based in California, including Vitachrome, the Velvetone Poster Company, and the Selectasine Company. This advertisement for the Northern Steamship Line was one of the first screenprints produced with the Selectasine process, a complex multicolor printing method using a single screen, rather than separate screens for each color.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Titles:

S.S. Great Northern-S.S. Northern Pacific

Date:

Between 1916 and 1918

Artists:

Roy C. Beck (American, 1893–1984) Printed by Selectasine Co., San Francisco (founded 1915)

Medium:

Color screenprint, in two parts (poster)

Dimensions:

Sheet: 19 7/8 x 14 7/8 inches (50.5 x 37.8 cm)

Classification:

Plaques/Reliefs/Tiles

Credit Line:

Gift of the artist, 1972

Accession Number:

1972-74-1a,b

Geography:

Printed in San Francisco, California, United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view