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William Higgs, 'Top of the List' (Vanity Fair)

Name: William Higgs, 'Top of the List' (Vanity Fair)
Brand: The Paddock
SKU: PA-00133

Leslie Ward ('Spy'), chromolithograph, Vanity Fair, 1906

The PaddockPA-00133Tear sheet

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No print size passed the check for this piece: at 8 x 10 in, Wrong shape: a 24% crop. We would rather show it than sell a soft print.

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William Higgs, drawn by Spy beneath the caption 'Top of the List' — the season's leading rider set down at the height of his form. Vanity Fair's captions doubled as a running scorecard of the sport, and 'top of the list' meant exactly what it said: more winners that season than any other jockey riding. the confidence in the stance, drawn without any of the caricaturist's usual gentle mockery. A number can flatter as much as a likeness.

Maker: Leslie Ward ('Spy'), chromolithograph, Vanity Fair
Date: 1906
Medium of the original: Chromolithograph
Original held by: Vanity Fair caricature
Credit: Vanity Fair caricature
Rights: Cleared for print
Catalogue number: PA-00133

Before a size goes on sale, the file is measured against it: pixels per inch at that size, how much of the picture a crop would lose, tone and sharpness. A size that fails is not offered, so there is nothing to choose wrong.

How the print check works

Sizes withheld
Size	Why
8 x 10 in	Wrong shape: a 24% crop
8 x 12 in	145 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged
11 x 14 in	Wrong shape: a 23% crop
12 x 16 in	Wrong shape: a 19% crop
12 x 18 in	96 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged
16 x 20 in	Wrong shape: a 24% crop
16 x 24 in	72 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged
18 x 24 in	Wrong shape: a 19% crop
20 x 30 in	58 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged
24 x 30 in	Wrong shape: a 24% crop
24 x 36 in	48 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged
30 x 40 in	Wrong shape: a 19% crop
36 x 48 in	Wrong shape: a 19% crop
40 x 60 in	29 dpi; a historical scan is never enlarged