Views of California
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Eduard Hildebrandt (1818-1869). "Bay von San Francisco." Berlin: Verlag von R. Wagner, [1865]. 9 1/2 x 14 1/2. Chromolithograph by R Wagner. Margins trimmed to image as issued. Some minor loss of image along left edge of image. Otherwise, very good condition and color. Very rare. Peters, California On Stone, p.128

A wonderful picturesque view of San Francisco Bay in the morning. In the middle of the picture, Hildebrandt pictures Yurba Buena island, a natural outcropping located mid bay. This island today is the connection point for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. In the background is the East Bay, where the present city of Oakland is located. The viewer is looking across today from about where the Bridge connects to the San Francisco peninsula. Hildebrandt, was born in Gdansk, and made numerous journeys to the Western Hemisphere, Mediterranean, Middle East, India, China, Japan and crossing the Pacific. A very colorful and well executed series of chromolithographs of his journeys were produced most likely in the late 1860s. These chromolithographs were reproduced with great effect to emulate his original watercolor drawings. A serene view from this very rare series. $2,200

"On The Coast Of California." New York: Currier & Ives, 1857-72. Small folio. 8 1/2 x 12 3/8. Lithograph. Original hand color. Wide margins. One small knot stain in margin; else very fine. C:4598.

A fine view of the coast of California, by America's printmakers. $950

Thomas Hill. “Yosemite Valley.” From William Pate’s National Gallery of Landscape Painters-American Scenery. New York: G.P. Putnam’s & Sons, 1872. 7 3/4 x 13 1/2. Steel engraving by Robert Hinshelwood. Excellent condition.

The process of steel engraving first made its impact with the small, octavo topographical engravings that appeared in such works as Willis’ American Scenery and Hinton’s History and Topography, both issued in the first half of the nineteenth century. In the second half of the century, some publishers used this medium to produce more elaborate topographical prints, and amongst the best series of this sort was William Pate’s American Scenery. This large portfolio contained folio steel engravings after the paintings of a number of famous American landscape artists. This lovely image of Yosemite Valley is based on a painting by Thomas Hill. $450

"Bird's-Eye View of San Francisco." From James D. McCabe's The Pictorial History of the United States. Philadelphia, 1877. Wood engraving. 4 1/4 x 6 1/2. Very good condition. A surprisingly detailed wood engraving of San Francisco from the bay. Shows the bustling sea port with its many wharfs filled with ships. $45

Prints after Rudolf Cronau. From Von Wunderland zu Wunderland. Landschafts und Lebensbilder aus den Staaten und Territorien der Union. Leipzig: T.O. Weigel, 1886-87. Collotypes by Rommler & Jonas, Dresden. Prints mounted onto decorative title boards as issued. Some margins stains & chipping to title boards, but overall very good condition.

A very unusual and rare set of German prints of the United States. The series consisted of fifty views extending from New York to San Francisco, with the majority of the prints depicting the natural wonders of the American West. Europeans, especially Germans, were fascinated with the American West due to the differences in culture and physical topography, not to mention their significant financial investments in land. Also, the western regions of the United States were becoming more accessible and many Europeans were curious about the tales of the American frontier. There is little information available on the artist of this series, Rudolf Cronau (1855-1939). Born in Germany, he is known to have traveled to the United States and North Africa. Overall, this is a very ambitious and rare set of views of the United States in the latter half of the nineteenth century.