Victorian Chromolithograph Prints - What are they?

I LOVE these Victorian prints, and snapped them up at a recent auction. They are chromolithographs and the colors are as vivid as the day they were made 120 or so years ago. So I had to find out about this process...what exactly is it and when and why were they made?

I totally love researching things like this!

I found that chromolithography was the technique to make inexpensive art for "regular" folks back in Victorian times. Often, a beautiful chromolitho was included in the magazines of the day, often to illustrate a short story. They were meant to be removed from the magazine and framed and enjoyed, beautiful Victorian wall art!

The technique was very labor intensive, more than 20 lithograph stones were often used, and they had to line up properly. The color is gob-smacking brilliant, my scans don't do them justice. The workmanship is mind-boggling. Can you imagine how striking it would be to have an array of these original prints?

I'm listing these in both of my Etsy shops and on my artfire one. The ones including animals are going into my pet portraits and animal art, the others in my Vintage Shop.

I am going to search for vintage frames for these beauties. These Victorian art prints are being sold shipped flat and ready to mat and frame. Any additional info you can add about them? Please comment!