Prior to World War I, printmaking in the United States was, with a few exceptions, primarily the domain of commercial enterprises that produced largely picturesque European scenes or depictions of popular towns on the East Coast. Prints of Minnesota scenes, especially by Minnesota artists, formed a very small part of American art exhibits.

Robert Crump relates the fascinating story of Minnesota's graphic arts world and its growth from provincialism to part of a national movement, showing how art printing--etchings, woodcuts, lithographs, drypoints, monotypes, and silk...