LUKE HONEY’S
If you’re a regular auction-goer, you may have come across topographical 18th-century prints with the titles or captions printed in reverse. Many years ago, before my days as an auction specialist, I inherited a charming, hand-coloured engraving of the Pont Neuf in Paris, dating from 1780 or so, with ‘Pont Neuf’ printed backwards, and the only way to read it was by holding it up to, sometimes known as a perspective print, an 18th- and early 19th-century precursor to the magic lantern, specifically designed to be viewed through a lens (and sometimes through a mirror) to create a three-dimensional architectural effect, bringing depth and realism to an image.
