1: THOMAS HART BENTON (1889-1975) PENCIL SIGNED LITHO

Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)
Morning Train (a.k.a. The Station) (1929)
The rare and early lithograph, Benton's first, circulated by Delphic Studios is signed by the artist in pencil lower right just below the image, and titled lower left. Fath catalog number 1, where it is given the alternate titles of Oklahoma, Edge of the Plains and Train in the Station.

By a different hand, this print is numbered 55/100. The number of prints pulled for this edition has been listed at 100 by some sources and 110 by others (including Creekmore Fath). Whatever the number, there is some speculation that the edition may not have been fully realized. Online records document only six examples of The Station at auction since 1988, compared to Benton's two other top images: Jesse James at fifteen appearances and Huck Finn at twenty-three. Jesse James and Huck Finn lithographs have sold at auction for as high as $25,000.00 and $18,700.00 respectively. Both are from stated editions of 100 prints.

Benton's comments in Fath read: First lithograph. From a drawing made at Enid Oklahoma in 1926 when I made a trip in a Model T Ford from Springfield, MO. to Taos, N.M. stopping on the way at the new oil towns of the Texas panhandle.
Image measures 5.75 x 6 with a framed size of 18 x 17.5 inches.
Very good to near fine condition, the full untrimmed sheet with very wide margins and four deckle edges, not laid down, no damage, no serious stain, no puncture or repair. There is framed to archival standards in acid free mounts. There is very minor even toning of the paper overall, two very tiny pinpoints of foxing lower right and one slightly larger spot upper left near the edge, there is thin, faint vertical line of toning at each end of the sheet, and a very, very pale outline framing the image, presumably from a previous mat.
$8,000 - $12,000