Before the 19th century, printed images were made by hand, one impression at a time, through copper engraving, etching, and hand-applied color. The work came out of scientific publishing, cartography, and encyclopedic projects like the great French Encyclopédie, which commissioned detailed plates documenting everything from industrial trades to natural history. That combination of craft and curiosity is what makes pre-1800 works so distinctive. The pieces here are period originals from that tradition.