This is a catalogue of American printmaking in the first half of the twentieth century. It starts with John Sloan and the Ashcan School and concludes with Jackson Pollock and abstract expressionism. The period covered includes the World Wars and the Depression, and the prints reflect this social and historical upheaval. An extended introductory essay sets the context and relates printmaking to art of other media being produced concurrently. The British Museum has the most important collection of American prints of this period outside the United States. Around 140 prints by 75 artists are included.