Armanino lithography, typography, chalcography: first notes and documents

Abstract

The paper is about the work of the Armanino, a Genoese family that worked in typography, lithography and chalcography. This renowned Genoese company was compared with similar businesses from Milan, Turin, Venice, Bologna and Trieste. The life of Armanino’s forefather is an example of a man who starts from nothing and builds his fortune trough hard work, energy and caution. With his death, the business passed to his wife and sons who, continuing it, confirmed the family’s talent in business. In 1905 the company changed the company name in S.A.I.G.A. (Anonymous Industries Association Graphic Arts and related), becoming an association. The objective of the research, while retracing this family’s history, is to highlight some fundamental characteristics of certain techniques, and the iconographic peculiarity. This study shows that most of Armanino’s production is based on illustrated material, graphic documents, portraits, posters, advertisements, postcards, match- stick boxes, and playing cards.