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Friday 9 November 2018

23:13

The Bible Wheel

 The Bible Wheel
(Republished and Digital Image Restoration – © Peter N Millward) 
With gratitude for source Image -Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund.

One of the latest antique prints now available is a another poster designed by W. C. Miles called "The Bible Wheel"   a picture similar to the Gospel Compass.  A hundred and forty years ago this would have been a very popular picture for seafarers and sailors.  An excellent visual aid for the different mission agencies to share with sailors and those traveling by sea. 

One of the most active of the mission agencies at that time was the Thames Church Mission.  Below is a report carefully recorded on the work and distribution 1882 -83 


The Thames Church Mission was ably led for a number of years by Rev Henry Bloomer.  To undertake such a vast work the mission needed substantial support.....to do this without modern means of communication must have been a daunting task.....But the mission was highly respected as can be seen from the Newspaper cutting below.   (This blog post is in a process of being updated)

 For Cards, Posters and Prints please click here





Monday 11 June 2018

02:53

The Up and Down Lines - Companion for the Broad and Narrow Way Picture

 The Up and Down Lines Railway Picture
The Up and Down Lines
Designed by W.C.Miles circa 1880s   
(Republished from private Collection – © Peter N Millward)
The poem below written during the 1840s eloquently conveys the message of the picture.

            The Spiritual Railway

The Line to heaven by Christ was made
With heavenly truth the Rails are laid,
From Earth to Heaven the Line extends,
To Life Eternal where it ends.
Repentance is the Station then
Where Passengers are taken in.
No Fee for them is there to pay,
For Jesus is himself the way.
God’s Word is the first Engineer
It points the way to Heaven so dear.
Through tunnels dark and dreary here
It does the way to Glory steer.
God’s Love the Fire, his Truth the Steam,
Which drives the Engine and the Train,
All you who would to Glory ride,
Must come to Christ, in Him abide
In First, and Second, and Third Class,
Repentance, Faith and Holiness.
You must the way to Glory gain
Or you with Christ will not remain.
Come then poor Sinners, now’s the time
At any Station on the Line.
If you’ll repent and turn from sin
The Train will stop and take you in.

Some fascinating information below about this intriguing picture and the world it came from over 130 years ago.  The print is an original Chromolithograph from the 1880s and is thought to be one of the earliest editions. The picture depicts two railway lines – The Up Line – to Heaven and the Down Line to Hell. And graphically shows the awesome contrast between the destinations reached at the end of the broad gauge railway which accommodated sin and the narrow gauge to heaven which eschewed it.
  The picture is both beautiful and fascinating....one could spend hours studying with a Bible.  The designer  - W.C.Miles has shown remarkable ability - The picture is filled with small scenes with scriptures....and would lend itself well to Bible Study and Sunday school. The style of clothes belong to a different era, but the picture has an up to date message for every generation.  
The Railway Signal magazine described The Up and Down Lines, as 'size 24 x 20. beautifully coloured. Also mounted on rollers' - and the following text  "a most interesting and instructive picture showing the Downgrade of Sin from Eden and the Upward Course of the Believer from the City of Destruction to Glory". The down line made its descent from paradise, through wilderness and captivity. by-passing Calvary, and with alluring stopping points offering sport, gambling. dancing, and the demon drink. The final stop - Pit Station was shown as being open day and night and selling only one-way tickets. Not far beyond it. all trains, bearing their unfortunate human freight. crashed down eternity rapids. The Celestial Route Station, by contrast. had placards offering refreshments. life insurance, grace. pardon. and peace. The main line went over the bridge of mercy. through Grace Station, and on through Calvary Junction to Glory."


(Republished from private Collection – © Peter N Millward)


Copies are now available for sale at the online store.


Tuesday 1 May 2018

16:31

The Gospel Compass

The Gospel Compass
Click image for Posters, Prints, T shirts, and cards

The Gospel Compass - For Sailors of all Nations.
Designed by W.C.M. circa 1880s
(Republished from private Collection – © Peter N Millward)

Recently while looking through pictures on my computer - I found a picture a very kind friend gave me many years ago called the Gospel Compass - For Sailors of all Nations.

I never really investigated the picture properly until now.  Although the original litho has aged quite well there are various areas showing signs of age, so I decided to restore the image digitally. I am able to republish and sell copies from the original litho print which is part of my collection. And is now available for sale at my Online shop 

Surprisingly, not a great deal of information available about the picture - But is likely it was designed for the Special Mission to Deep-Sea Fishermen, founded in 1881 by E.J. (Ebenezer Joseph) Mather. The organization later became The Fishermen's Mission. 

It is a wonderfully thought provoking maritime picture, one could spend hours studying - Featuring a compass rose at the centre, and signal flags conveying Bible message and scriptures. The large compass has Bible texts placed on all the points and surrounded by texts expressed in signal code, with nautical themed sketches and Bible verses. Below is a photo of one of the short keys on the left at the foot of the picture explaining the different features.

The designer William Charles Miles, worked as a Christian journalist.  A poem by WCM published in the Chart and Compass Sailors Magazine 1887




Sunday 18 March 2018

02:40

The Broad and the Narrow Way

The Broad and Narrow Way - 1883 English Edition
I have been updating my website along with that some of the pictures - Recently I was able to purchase an original 1883 Chromolithograph print of the Broad and the Narrow Way for a reasonable price. I have been on the look out for years for an original print of this famous picture produced for Gawin Kirkham of the Open-Air Mission. The colours were very good and without too much difficulty was able to digitally restore the image. This is now available for sale in various formats and products at Online store

Were you aware there is a big difference between a Chromolithographic print and modern prints?

Below is an explanation from The Chicago Antiques Guide Blog

"Chromolithography, or color printing from a stone, only reached the market in the 1870's and was all but non-existant by the end of the 1930's. It's heyday was the 1880's and 1890's. Most chromolithography after the early 1900's was used for cigar labels, posters, and some fruit crate labels. I'm sure there were other uses, but those are the printed items that most collectors care about after 1900.

If you are looking at buying an old poster that is supposed to be from the 1930's or earlier, make sure that it is a stone lithograph and not a color separation. Many old posters have been reproduced using more modern color separation techniques." The Chicago Antiques Guide Blog - How to tell a Chromolithograph


To tell the difference, you need a strong magnifying glass or photograph of the image to enlarge. Below are some highly magnified photos - Below is a modern colour separation print of the Broad and the Narrow Way. Which shows a pattern of small dots.
   



Above is a photo taken from an original Chromolithograph print of the Broad and the Narrow Way picture. (Highly magnified)


The above is from a scan of another Chromolithograph print from the same era called - The Up and Down Lines to show the difference.

I will updating this page with further examples when I find time

Friday 23 February 2018

18:48

Charlotte Reihlen - The memory of the Just is blessed

 Charlotte Reihlen - The Memory of the Just is Blessed


A significant date
The 21st of January 2018 was very significant, but it passed without my knowing until a few
days later while I was catching up with my website, the date - exactly 150 years since the
designer of the picture - A Mrs Charlotte Reihlen of Stuttgart passed into Eternity.  Somehow
I don't think this is a coincidence…  For along time I had not visited my website...Plus,
I had been unable to update the site…. But I was able resolve this now. So for
me this is very significant.  So I decided  to make a picture as a tribute to Charlotte Reihlen.  
But I am thinking perhaps I should make an illustrated book ….. 150 year ago the world
was a very different place but the picture still has a very up to date message to tell!
Charlotte Reihlen
Do we want to change the world for the better? If we do, then it may be helpful to understand
how God changed the world in the past through His people. .... and still impacting around
the world today, 150 years later.  January 21st 1868 Charlotte Reihlen passed from this
world to the next. She died relatively young - 63 years. Little did she know that a picture
she commissioned in the last years of her life on earth would have such an impact. Her
prayers and sincere desire to share the Gospel through the picture - became a wonderful
reality.  The image was the culmination of a life dedicated to serving Christ and His Kingdom.
Charlotte along with her husband Friedrich were used by God to begin many good works in
their native city of Stuttgart, Germany, helping the poor, rescue houses for needy children
and starting Christian initiatives that still exist today.

Charlotte was not an artist, but she had a good idea of ​​what she wanted to say through art.
When she met a pious artist by the name of Conrad Schacher. She was then able to transfer
her message to the world through the image he created. This started an incredible story -
as no sooner had she passed away. The image fell into the hands of an English preacher
named Gawin Kirkham, Secretary of the "Open-Air Mission." He was so impacted when he
first saw the picture and understood the message - He saw it as his life's calling to preach
the message of the picture, and had an enlarged copy painted, succeeded by three others each
larger than the previous, the last one - the largest being 9ft x 12ft - With these enlarged pictures
he went in the streets, public squares and churches up and down the British Isles. During his
lifetime he preached well over 1000 times in public - Even travelling to the United States and the
Continent, and visited what was then known as Palestine taking the message of the picture.

Over 50,000 copies of the picture were sold in 5 years, and went to the four corners of the earth,
translated into several languages. The picture is by far the most well known and sought after
of it's type - even today 150 years later.  By all accounts Gawin Kirkham was a  formidable
open air preacher, a dynamic personality who raised an army of a street preachers in the UK
and beyond during his active years as the Secretary of the Open Air Mission Society whose
ranks swelled to over a thousand.  Today,  the image still has a lot of fascination, although
not without criticism, some complain for theological reasons or ridicule as old fashioned ...
But the image has a testimony and a history that we do well to ponder and respect ..... It
was used by the Lord for good, making wise to salvation a generation during the Victorian era.   
Anyone who studies the history of the picture and its message can not deny,  the picture
brings eternity into sharp focus with a message that is not negotiable - it is for every
generation to believe and seek the Lord while He may be found .... It's the message  
Charlotte Reihlen wanted to speak to the world, and Gawin Kirkham took up the baton to
make known.    And is the same message we too are entrusted with.

Thursday 22 February 2018

16:45

"Put On Your White Sombrero"



"Put On Your White Sombrero"

As I listened to the song "Put On Your White Sombrero"  by ABBA a (secular pop group)  
I heard as it were the Bride of Christ singing the words of this song too!  It was deeply impacting.
But how is that possible you may ask? How do you know?
But if the Spirit of Christ is within me witnessing.....faith compels me to speak!

The music may make some cringe.....perhaps so...But have you ever asked yourself what makes the
Lord cringe? When was the last time did you hear anyone ask that question?
We know what the Lord says in scripture about the 7 churches in the book of Revelation.
But what would the Lord say to today's Churches?
The true Bride of Christ will never accept false religion or what is phony.
She will never compromise, and we have many examples in history, servants of God who were martyred, suffered for the Gospel and the Word of God.
  Over the years the powers of Hell, sent the Church - The Bride of Christ, false
teachers and false teaching and many would be suitors to deceive and enslave her,
Subtle heresies, especially the last 50 years or so - Wealth, prosperity, false teaching, a safe comfortable Gospel - a false Gospel!….an attempt to diminish the love of believers for their Lord.
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches” Revelation 2:29

We do well to remember the words of Jesus and the parable of the ten Virgins
- 5 who were wise and 5 who were foolish.  The foolish ones never knew the Bridegroom, but
they had all the looks of a Bride....imagine that? Dressed for the wedding...but neglected the
most important thing - oil for their lamps!

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and
went out to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.  The
foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.  The wise ones, however,
took oil in jars along with their lamps.  The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’  “Then
all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.  The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be
enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.
“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who
were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the
others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’  “But he replied, ‘Truly
I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day
or the hour. Matthew 25: 1-13