Schile, Henry Jerome

Henry Jerome Schile (September 30, 1829 - October 12, 1901), also spelled Schiele, was a German-American lithographer active in New York during the mid-19th century. Schille was born in Oberharmersbach, Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. He was a 48er, having fled Germany in the wake of the failed 1848 Springtime of the Peoples Revolutions. He arrived in the United States in 1852. He seems to have been trained as a carpenter and framer rather than an engraver or lithographic printer. His first appearance in the census, 1860, identifies him as a 'gilder'. From around 1870, he established himself as a framer and printer, issuing lithograph views and advertisements. His work was particularly popular among Germany brewers, who used him extensively for large bold beer advertising. Henry Schile's work is described by Harry T. Peters in America on Stone,

Though often German in source or character, often bearing titles in foreign languages, for the convenience of immigrants, and invariably and outrageously crude in conception, composition, drawing, and lithography, Schile's prints are undoubtedly American in spirit, because they so vividly represent the ‘melting pot’ from which they came and for which they were made. …

Schile is criticized by some for the crudity of his work, with 'Across the Continent' generally named has his finest print - however, this discounts his many striking beer advertisements and other commercial printing. Schile also developed the convention of mounting some of his images on black card, itself embellished with decorative gold highlighting - likely a legacy of his history in the framing industry, but a technique later copied by other German-American lithographers. Schile had offices at 18, 36, 56, and 62 Division Street, New York, NY. He died in New York in 1901. After his death, his substantial legacy was mired in legal disputes among his heirs.