Forty-Five NC etchings by Louis Orr, each individually signed and titled in pencil, unframed, and unmatted. Included in this lot is an etching of the North Carolina State Capitol at Raleigh, signed and titled in pencil and in the plate.

Download a complete list of the included works.

Sheet Size 15 1/2 x 12 1/2 in. (each approximately; some vertical, some horizontal); NC State Capitol at Raleigh etching: 15 3/4 x 19 1/2 in.

From the Estate of J. McNeill Smith, Jr., an esteemed North Carolina attorney, politician, and Civil Rights advocate.

Smith purchased these etchings in 1968 directly from Robert L. Humber, who worked with Louis Orr to execute the NC etchings project. In a letter to Smith, Humber says, "...it is folks like you and Louise [Smith's wife] whom I had in mind when I commissioned Louis Orr to undertake this assignment - persons who love the State and its magnificent traditions and who have faith in its capacity to enrich the destiny of mankind." That this beautiful collection of NC etchings was a part of Smith's private collection and that the provenance is so directly connected with Orr and Humber's endeavours enhances the prints' already remarkable historical significance.

All in very fine condition with minor light foxing and toning.

$15,000 - 20,000