Excerpt from Directors of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts<br><br>On the 21st of December, 1874, an exhibition of Engravings, Mezzotints and Etchings was opened under the auspices of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in a structure adjoining the new Academy building in course of erection at the south-west corner of Broad and Cherry Streets. The exhibition is composed of over a thousand sheets, selected from the large and valuable collection of Mr. James L. Claghorn, the President of the Academy, for the purpose of illustrating the history of the art of engraving on metal from the earliest period to the present. The exhibition is much the largest and most imposing of its kind that has ever been held in America, the collection being especially rich in fine impressions from plates executed by the early engravers. The criticisms herewith presented appeared in the Evening Telegraph of Philadelphia, on December 22d, 26th and 29th, 1874, and January 2d, 8th, 13th, 19th and 26th, 1875, having been written by Mr. Wm. J. Clarke, Jr., of the editorial staff of that newspaper, and a member of the committee in charge of the exhibition. With these criticisms is also given the address delivered by Mr. W. S. Baker, also of the committee, at the opening of the exhibition.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.