Provenance: The William A. Keegan family scrapbook, spanning 1856 to ca. 1903. Three members of the Keegan family worked for the American Bank Note Company, one of whom was employed as a plate printer. The album includes many pictorial and portrait die proofs.
Details: Gene Hessler (“The Engraver’s Line”) credits this engraving as the work of G. F. C. Smillie. It was used as the central portrait for an El Salvador 50 pesos banknote in the 1890s.
The brown paper backing is a remnant of the original page on which the proof was mounted in the Keegan album. What appears to be a hair in the scan is a natural India paper fiber. Overall dimensions 3.5″ x 6″.
