Series of four prints, produced as small posters, of sporting activities during various months of the year, designed for Recreation magazine in 1896. Each features a sportsman and his trusty dachshund.

A print from the same series, in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is illustrated in American Art Posters of the 1890s by David W. Kiehl. It is described there as follows:

"Watson provided a series of twelve posters for Recreation in 1896, each depicting a different outdoor sport. Designed in a silhouette style and sparked with refreshing humor, Watson's energetic sportsman and his faithful dachshund pursue the sports of the season - in March ice-boating, in May, fly-fishing; and in August, a refreshing dip in a lake. The posters were available from the magazine's offices at five cents apiece (The Poster 1.3 [March 1896], p. 40)."

Henry (Hy) Sumner Watson was an illustrator based in New York, known for his outdoor sporting and hunting scenes, although he depicted city streets and well-dressed urbanites as well. He drew illustrations for Scribner's magazine in the early 1900s.

References:

"Henry (Hy) Sumner Watson." Askart.net. http://www.askart.com/theartist.asp?id=100294 (25 June 2002).

Kiehl, David W. American Art Posters of the 1890s. Harry N. Abrams, New York: 1987. See image number 283.