Naught, and Carry One

This1876 black and white steel engraving by Illman Brothers was first published in Peterson Magazine, a periodical for women which published tips on fashion, etiquette and child rearing from 1855-1892. This print was one of a series of engravings which was reprinted and bound in 1888 in an additional publication by the magazine called Choice Gems.

This print depicts a seated school girl holding a slate with a math problem on her lap. She is seated in a room, possibly a kitchen, with a stack of cards next to her and a door behind her. An axe and a piece of wood with chopped wood are depicted in the background, along with a shelf holding a cooking pan and pitcher.

Illman Brothers were a Philadelphia firm of engravers and printers, consisting of Edward, George, Henry, and William Ilman active circa 1860 to 1907. Johann George Meyer von Bremen (German, 1813-1886) was the artist of the original image, an oil on canvas.

Currently not on view