The Phantom Death

Artist: Lincoln American

Title: The Phantom Death

Plate: PM. 38

Description: Condition A.
Original lithograph from the "Das Moderne Plakat" series, View entire collection (50) 
Printed by Verlag von Gerhard Kuhtmann, Dresden, 1897.
Presented in 16 x 20 in. acid free, archival museum mat, with framing labels. Ready to frame. Shipped boxed flat. 
Certificate of Authenticity.

Plakat Sheet Size: 8 1/2 in x 11 1/4 in 21 cm x 29 cm

Price: $100.00

"The Phantom Death and other Stories by W. Clark Russell. New York, 1895. Nautical horror stories

 

The Phantom Death tells of the misadventures of the officers of the English ship 'Lord of the Isles', bound from Rio to Bristol. In a few days the Captain and the mates died of some terrible disease, and supposedly they were poisoned. It was a snake in the ship, the ibiboboko it made it's business to crawl out at night and kill those that slept in the cabin." (NYtimes.com/archive, June 2nd, 1895)

 

Hence we see the "snake" that surrounds the image. The phantom killer!

 

William Clark Russell (1844-1911) was an English author, and a sailor for several years before he turned to journalism and fiction. He was well-regarded in his day. He wrote much on nautical topics and campaigned to improve working conditions for seamen.

 

Born in New York City, he gained his experience of sea life during eight years' service as a sailor. Then he was a journalist on the staff of the Daily Chronicle before he took to writing his many novels, only a few of which are listed here. At the beginning of the Sherlock Holmes story, The Five Orange Pips, Doctor Watson is shown 'deep in one of Clark Russell's fine sea stories'. William Clark Russell was the son of Henry Russell. His horror work has similarities to the nautical horror stories of William Hope Hodgson.