A talented engraver and block printer who, in collaboration with others, marketed a large number of proofs purportedly created by his late grandfather and by many of the leading wood engravers of the twentieth century, including Lynd Ward and Eric Gill. A lively synopsis of this tangled affair can be found in an article by Alan Abrams in the September 20, 2004 issue of Forbes Magazine, titled Catch Me If You Can.

I bought these examples of Washington’s work several years ago with no illusions about their authenticity, thanks to the seller’s candor. Period work or modern, I thought then - and think now - that they are first rate re-imaginings of a bygone era, worth a place in a broad-minded collector’s inventory. Just don’t take them too seriously.