Excerpt from A Handbook of the S. P: Avery Collection of Prints and Art Books in the New York Public Library<br><br>Mr. Avery made it a point to secure one or more examples of the work of nearly every contemporary artist whom he had met or of Whom he had heard. The result is the present collection of etchings and lithographs, representing 978 artists, and offering a comprehensive view of the state of these arts during the past fifty years, particularly in F rance, where they have been most cultivated. While the work is mainly by Frenchmen, other nationalities are also represented, particularly the German, Dutch, Belgian and English. Sometimes, as in the case of Barye, or of Daumier, the one plate here listed is the only known etching by the artist.<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.