The Winning Post Value Guide

This hand-colored aquatint engraving, 'The Winning Post', is a quintessential piece of Victorian sporting art depicting the high-stakes atmosphere of the Epsom Derby. Created by the renowned artist Henry Alken and engraved by William Summers, it remains a highly collectible symbol of 19th-century British horse racing culture.

What Is The Winning Post Worth?

The typical price range for The Winning Post is $100 - $110 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• The vibrancy and preservation of the hand-applied watercolors significantly impact the $100-$110 price range.
• Physical condition of the paper, specifically the absence of foxing, water stains, or trimming of the original margins.
• The quality and age of the frame, particularly if it features period-appropriate wood and protective glass.
• Completeness of the set, as this print is most valuable when kept as part of the original series of four Epsom Derby scenes.

How to Identify The Winning Post?

• Verify the presence of 'William Summers' as the engraver and 'Henry Alken' as the original artist in the lower margin.
• Look for the original publication credit to J.B. Browne, dated circa 1871, to distinguish from later 20th-century reproductions.
• Examine the coloring under magnification to ensure it is hand-applied watercolor rather than a modern mechanical dot-matrix print.
• Check for the specific aquatint texture, which provides a tonal, wash-like quality to the background of the Epsom racecourse.

History of The Winning Post

Henry Thomas Alken was the most famous member of the Alken family of sporting artists. This specific scene, The Winning Post, belongs to a series of four celebrated prints depicting the Epsom Derby. Engraved by William Summers and originally published by J.B. Browne in 1871, these prints became iconic symbols of Victorian horse racing culture and were widely reproduced due to their popularity among sporting enthusiasts.