This listing is for an original, signed 20th-century drypoint etching titled The Bob-white, an individual game bird profile study by the celebrated American wildlife artist William Joseph Schaldach. Produced circa 1925, this lifetime, artist-pulled intaglio print was hand-pulled directly from the copper plate by Schaldach himself for private collection and personal presentation, rather than as a mass-produced commercial illustration or bookplate reprint. The print features a highly detailed, naturalistic depiction of the game bird head and neck, showcasing the fine linework and rich plate tone characteristic of classic American sporting art printmaking. The lower right margin features the clear hand-signed pencil signature of the artist, W. J. Schaldach. The lower left margin includes an original, handwritten pencil dedication that reads, To my friend Eugene Higgins.

The artist, William Joseph Schaldach (1896–1982), was a prominent American printmaker, painter, author, and managing editor for Forest and Stream magazine, which later became Field and Stream. Born in Indiana, he studied at the prestigious Art Students League of New York, mastering intricate graphic techniques like drypoint, aquatint, and traditional copperplate etching. Schaldach became a highly influential figure in the sporting art genre, exhibiting his work at the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, the Chicago Society of Etchers, and the 1939 New York Worlds Fair. Today, his original prints are housed in the permanent collections of elite cultural institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Gallery of Art.

The recipient named in the unique peer-to-peer dedication, Eugene Higgins (1874–1958), was a deeply respected American social-realist painter and master etcher. Higgins studied at the Academie Julian and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris before returning to New York, where he gained national acclaim for his dark, powerful representations of working-class laborers, vagabonds, and the rural poor. Elected as a full Academician at the National Academy of Design in 1928, Higgins built a formidable legacy, culminating in the Library of Congress purchasing 240 of his original etchings for their permanent collections in 1957. His works are prominently held by major institutions across the country, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. This personal dedication marks an intimate piece of American art history, serving as a direct connection between two highly distinguished printmakers of the early-to-mid 20th century.

Regarding the physical state of the piece, the artwork presents in excellent antique condition. The paper retains its structural integrity without any visible tearing, foxing, water staining, or discoloration. The impressions from the drypoint plate remain crisp, and the pencil text in the margins is completely legible and unfaded. The print is housed behind an elegant white mat that shows no warping or moisture damage. The entire presentation is stable, clean, and ready for immediate exhibition or archival framing. The frame measures 10.75” inches height and 7.5” inches in length. The print plate itself measures 3” inches height and 2” inches in length. The paper jacket is mint with wire intact.