(American, 1721-1788)

The Repeal. Or the Funeral Procession, of Miss Americ-Stamp., after Benjamin Wilson, Mark Baskett, publisher, London, 1766, possibly later, mezzotint on laid paper, 9-5/8 x 13-5/8 in., sheet 10 x 14 in.; black painted wood print frame by Perry Hopf, 15-1/2 x 11-1/2 x 7/8 in.

Provenance: Private New England Collection

Note: The Stamp Act, passed in 1765, was a source of much consternation among American colonists of the time, leading to boycotts of British goods. Needing revenue from the colonies, an effort to repeal the Stamp Act was spearheaded by the newly elected Prime Minister, the Marquess of Rockingham, who commissioned Benjamin Wilson to draw two satirical prints, one titled The Tombstone and the other, this piece, titled The Repeal. The Repeal was so popular among the Stamp Act’s opponents that three days after its initial printing, the publisher put out an ad requesting patience from all those who had ordered a print as he was unable to keep up with the sheer number of incoming orders. This particular version, known as copy b, is a smaller, mostly engraved copy of the original print, sporting a slight deviation in title ("Ame-Stamp" has become "Americ-Stamp").