"The Doolittle Engravings of the Battle of Lexington and Concord" Archival Prints
"The Doolittle Engravings of the Battle of Lexington and Concord" Archival Prints
These are the highest quality reproductions available anywhere, printed on archival paper with archival-grade inks.
Here's what a couple of buyers have told us:
"They are exquisite and so well done. They appear to be so like the originals, not like some of the laser printer jobs or the photocopy high-end duplicates. I purchased a set for myself and when my grown children saw them they were impressed with the quality and I have gotten a set for each of them for Christmas. My daughter worked at the Minuteman park for a time and they had nothing available like this. Don't hesitate to purchase them. You will not be disappointed. Quality shows...." — Mary J.
"Extremely pleased with the prints! They are finely printed and detailed on high quality paper. The coloring on them makes the printing stand out. They arrived quickly and safely as well. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to purchase." — Robert O.
— Lee Wright | Founder
Fine art prints of the four engravings by Amos Doolittle depicting the momentous events during the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 and are among the rarest American historical prints. They were created based on a visit to these sites and interviews just days after April 19. See the historical background at the bottom for more about the men who made these.
Our prints are based on a scan of the originals, not a later reproduction.
Plates:
- Plate I: The battle of Lexington, April 19th. 1775.
- Plate II: A view of the town of Concord
- Plate III: The engagement at the North Bridge in Concord
- Plate IV: A view of the south part of Lexington
As described by the New England Historical Society (link and more information below):
"The first print shows the Battle of Lexington, with Maj. Pitcairn at the head of the regular grenadiers. It also shows the party who first fired on the provincials at Lexington, part of the Provincial company of Lexington and the British regular companies on the road to Concord.
"The second Amos Doolittle print shows companies of the British regulars marching into town, then the regulars drawn up in order. It shows a detachment destroying the provincial stores as Col. Smith and Maj. Pitcairn view the Provincials mustering on an east hill in Concord.
"The third print depicts the engagement at North Bridge, including the detachment of British regulars who fired first on the provincials at the bridge. It also shows the provincials headed by Col. Robinson and Maj. Buttrick.
"Finally, the fourth print shows Col. Smith’s brigade retreating before the provincials and Earl Percy’s brigade meeting them. Included in the engraving are Earl Percy and Col. Smith, the flank guards of Percy’s brigade, the fieldpiece pointed at the Lexington meeting house and the burning of the houses in Lexington."
To give you an idea of their value of original, in January 2022 Christies sold an incomplete set—only two of the plates—for $750,000.
At their auction they stated, "Less than ten full sets of Doolittle's views of Lexington and Concord survive together with an additional four or five incomplete sets.”
Size: 12" x 16" — Similar in size to the originals
About the paperweight and printing process: Printed on thick archival paper with archival inks.
Other designs featuring the Battle of Lexington: "Battle of Lexington 1775" Archival print and a smaller commercial print, from the original engraving by Hammatt Billings circa 1875. And we have a "1775 Battle of Lexington" sticker and magnet.
Source: From scans of the originals in the New York Public Library. We worked extensively to restore the colors and make other corrections and repairs.
Historical background
From New England Historical Society:
Amos Doolittle Creates the First (and Only) Accurate Engravings of the Battles of Lexington and Concord
"He was a young silversmith, just 20 years old and starting out on his own in New Haven. He had a friend, Ralph Earl, an itinerant artist who went around Connecticut towns painting portraits.
"As war loomed, Amos Doolittle took the patriots’ side. Ralph Earl’s sympathies lay with the British.
"Together, patriot and loyalist would create the first and only accurate engravings of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. . . .
"In 1775, [Doolittle] enlisted in the New Haven company of the Governor’s Guards under Capt. Benedict Arnold. When news of the Battles of Lexington and Concord came to New Haven, the ever-ambitious Arnold marched his men to Cambridge, Mass.
"Ralph Earl came along, too, apparently for the ride. There’s no record of him enlisting in Arnold’s company, so he may have tagged along with the militia, drawn by the excitement of war. Or maybe he wanted to see his dad, a colonel in the Revolutionary Army.
"The New Haven men arrived in Cambridge 10 days after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Amos Doolittle asked for leave, and got it, to inspect the battlefields. Perhaps camp life bored him, or perhaps he’d planned it all along.
"In Concord and Lexington, Amos Doolittle sought out eyewitnesses and minutemen who fought the battles. He asked them what happened, where and when, and then he told Earl what to draw. Doolittle even posed for Earl, sometimes holding a musket, to model participants like Col. Smith, Maj. Pitcairn, Earl Percy and Maj. Buttrick. . . .
"From Earl’s drawings and the eyewitness accounts he gathered, Amos Doolittle engraved four copper plates of the battle.
"He’d never published anything before, but he advertised the prints for sale in December 1775 in the Connecticut Journal. They circulated widely as pro-patriot propaganda, and then they disappeared into obscurity."
More resources:
- Amos Doolittle Creates the First (and Only) Accurate Engravings of the Battles of Lexington and Concord — And the source for the excerpts above
- Doolittle Engraves April 19th for Posterity
- News From Lexington: Contemporary Views of the Opening Battles of the American Revolution
Shipping
Shipping
For shipments to addresses within the U.S. (scroll down for International shipping)
Flat-rate shipping: Regardless of the number of items you order, the shipping price for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, and button packs is $5.95.
For hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets, the shipping cost is $8.95.
Our flat rate shipping means you can add two or more t-shirts, sweatshirts, or caps for no additional shipping charge.
Note that some large or heavy items, including larger framed prints, may have a different shipping charge or a shipping surcharge. When they do, it will be noted on the product page.
Timing
We try to ship orders within three business days of receiving them. This applies to in-stock items. Framed items or items requiring personalization may take up to two weeks longer. If there is an extended delay, it will be noted on the product page.
We close for a week over Independence Day and Christmas. A notice will appear at the top of every page of the site in advance of this closure.
We ship most orders via USPS, so if the post office is closed, we won't be shipping orders that day.
If you need to receive your order by a certain date, such as to give as a gift or have for a trip, we recommend ordering at least two weeks in advance, especially if you are using USPS shipping.
If you're looking for reliable, on-time deliveries, we strongly suggest upgrading to "UPS 3 Business Day Select Shipping."
Additional notes:
- When fulfillment takes longer, such as around the Christmas holidays, we'll put up an announcement in the site and will list recommended shipping deadlines below.
- If an item is out of stock, we will contact you.
- If one of your items is an advance order, that will be noted on the product page along with an estimate of when it will ship. If that estimated date changes, the product page will be updated.
Charges for shipping to destinations in the United States and to APO, DPO, and FPO addresses
- Free shipping
- On stickers, magnets, decals, patches, static clings, and individual button pins.
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US Postal Service shipping - The least expensive, though also less reliable than UPS. (See more on UPS in the next section.)
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$5.95 for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, button packs.
Regardless of the number of items you order, the shipping price is still fixed at $5.95. Our flat rate shipping means you can add another t-shirt, cap, or book for no additional shipping charge.
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$8.95 for hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets.
UPS 3 Business Day Select
Note: UPS 3 Business Day select is not available for addresses in Hawaii and Alaska. If UPS is selected for Hawaii or Alaska, the order will be shipped UPS Ground.
- $14.95 for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, button packs.
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$18.95 for hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets.
- If the actual shipping cost is significantly higher than what we’re charging, we will contact you to discuss alternatives.
- UPS Overnight (Next Business Day Delivery)
For shipments to addresses outside the United States
DestinationsWe only ship to locations that are served by US Postal Service International Service.
Charges
- Canada and Mexico
- Rate starts at $40.00 for shirts, caps, unframed prints and posters, bracelets, lapel pins, pendants, button packs, hooded and crewneck sweatshirts, mugs, and blankets.
- Rest of the World
- Rates starts at $65.00.
Additional charges for all destinations
Some large, heavy items may have an additional shipping charge. If that's the case, it will be noted on the product page.
If the actual shipping cost is significantly higher than what we’re charging, we will contact you to discuss alternatives.
All original designs are copyrighted by The History List
All original designs are copyrighted by The History List
All designs are copyrighted by The History List and the History Nerd text and design on t-shirts is a registered trademark. If you see a knock off, please let me know.
Mission
Mission
Your purchases support our mission to engage people with local history and to support historic sites and history organizations across the country.
I first observed the printed Lexington & Concord Engravings on the Lexington Historical Society's store website sometime last winter. The site somehow did not offer them for sale, so I figured I'd have to wait until I take a trip out there. My daughter attends college in the area. Did a little searching this summer on The History List website through the Boston 1775 blog and I realized they were on sale here. Extremely pleased with the prints! They are finely printed and detailed on high quality paper. The coloring on them makes the printing stand out. They arrived quickly and safely as well. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to purchase. Intend to frame them and hang them up in my home. While I now live in the Midwest, they remind me of the times I've visited Concord, Lexington and the Minute Man Historical Park growing up. Am looking forward to visiting these places again when I visit my daughter. Thank you History List for providing such a great product!
I took a chance on these prints since I have been disappointed in the past from other vendors. They are exquisite and so well done. They appear to be so like the originals, not like some of the laser printer jobs or the photocopy high-end duplicates. I purchased a set for myself and when my grown children saw them they were impressed with the quality and I have gotten a set for each of them for Christmas. My daughter worked at the Minuteman park for a time and they had nothing available like this. Don't hesitate to purchase them. You will not be disappointed. Quality shows....
These prints are extremely high quality. They really bring the history alive. These images of Lexington and Concord are so unique as both a patriot (Amos Doolittle) and loyalist (Ralph Earl) worked on them. Highly recommended!