Motif for Bank Note Design
Classification
numismatics
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Walter Shirlaw
Accession Number
1912-16-128
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Motif for Bank Note** *Walter Shirlaw (American, b. Scotland 1838–1909), ca. 1895* Walter Shirlaw, a-born American artist renowned for his intricate illustrations and engravings, created this *Motif for Bank Note Design* 1895. Trained in Europe and active in New York’s vibrant art scene, Shirlaw to magazines like *Harper’s Weekly* before turning his precision skills toward functional art. This work, classified under numismatics in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s collection, represents a proposed decorative element for U.S. currency during the Gilded Age—a time of rapid economic gr...