Inger, C. “Philadelphia, 1876"

C. Inger.  “Philadelphia, 1876.”  

Philadelphia: D. Hensel, 1876.  17 1/8 x 25 1/8.  “Chromotic View” (chromolithograph) by C. Inger.  Some minor staining in margins.  Otherwise, very good condition.  A/A

A magnificent and rare bird’s eye view of Philadelphia in 1876.  The vantage point is on the fairgrounds reservoir, with the Centennial buildings in the middle distance, and a panoramic view of the city across the Schuylkill River.  All the major buildings of the Centennial are clearly pictured, as well as the buildings in the city including Masonic Hall, S.S. Peter and Paul Cathedral, the waterworks, Girard College, the projected City Hall, and the splendid bridges that spanned the Schuylkill.  A key in the bottom margin identifies many of these sites.  The foreground is a lovely bucolic scene, with festively dressed people on the top of the reservoir and a carriage down below on Belmont Drive. This print is special in others ways.  For one thing, it is an atypical Centennial view, with the emphasis on Fairmount Park and the main part of the city, rather than the Centennial buildings.  It is also beautifully crafted with all manner of detail– figures, buildings, greenery, ornamentation– well differentiated.  This print is one of the most unusual and spectacular views of the Centennial.