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One of the new formats of publishing that appeared in America shortly after the Revolution was the illustrated magazine. Publications of this type were intended to emulate the success of similar ventures in England, including Gentleman's Magazine and London Magazine. A number of the illustrations in these American magazines were among the earliest printed images of American frontier landscapes. The first American monthly magazine was the Columbian Magazine, which began publication in Philadelphia in 1787. This is a particularly interesting view, showing a tavern just south of York, for it shows a typical scene in the interior of the United States shortly after Independence. The Baltimore Road, prominently depicted, appears well kept up, but still this dirt road would have been almost impassable at times. $275
"The Great bend of the Susquehanna River, in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania." From The Port Folio. Philadelphia, 1811. 4 3/8 x 5 1/2. Engraving. Very good condition.
An early American engraving from The Port Folio. This was a new type of American magazine, "Devoted to Useful Science, the Liberal Arts, Legitimate Criticism, and Polite Literature." It was a product of the new century, appearing first in January 1801. It began as a weekly issue until 1809, when it became monthly until its demise at the end of 1827. As with the many magazines that followed it, The Port Folio contained numerous illustrations, including this interesting view of the "Great Bend" on the Susquehanna River in upstate Pennsylvania. The fine views from The Port Folio are some of the most unusual and early American-made views of the country, and they form an important series of documents from the first three decades of the nineteenth century. $150
Go to listing of other views of Pennsylvania from The Port Folio.
Joshua Shaw. “York Springs, Adams County, in Pennsylvania.” From The Analectic Magazine. Philadelphia: 1819. 3 7/8 x 6 7/8. Engraving by John Hill. Very good condition.
In 1812, Philadelphia bookseller and publisher Moses Thomas purchased a monthly magazine entitled Select Reviews, engaged Washington Irving as editor, and renamed the publication The Analectic Magazine. Irving, his brother-in-law J. K. Paulding, Gulian C. Verplanck and, later, Thomas Isaac Wharton wrote much of the material, which concentrated on literary reviews, articles on travel and science, biographies of naval heroes, and reprints of selections from British periodicals. Illustration “was one of the magazine’s chief distinctions. Not only were there the usual engravings on copper, but some of the earliest magazine experiments in lithography and wood engraving appeared here. The plates were chiefly portraits, though some other subjects were used.” (Mott, A History of American Magazines). $225
Thomas Birch. "View of the Water Gap and Columbia Glassworks River Delaware." Philadelphia, ca. 1820. 12 5/8 x 19 1/8. Engraving by William Strickland. Hand watercolor. A few light age spots. Strong impression.
A lovely early engraving by two of America's most prominent craftsmen of the first part of the nineteenth century. Thomas Birch is well remembered both for his work with his father on the series of views of Philadelphia and independently, for his achievements as a painter and engraver. William Strickland has been immortalized in a group of impressive architectural monuments that he designed, which helped define the character of early 19th-century Philadelphia. Although best known as an architect, to supplement his income, Strickland also worked as a painter and engraver. The success of his collaboration with Birch is evident here. $1,500
Karl Bodmer. "Penitentiary Near Pittsburgh." From Travels In the Interior of North America in the Years 1832 to 1834. London: Ackermann and Company, 1843. Vignette ca. 7 1/2 x 10 3/4. Aquatint. Engraved by L. Weber. Printed by de Bougeard. Excellent condition.
Karl Bodmer, (1809-1893), is considered by many authorities to be the greatest 19th-century artist to have produced prints of the American west. Bodmer and his patron, Prince Maximilian of Wied, came to America from Germany in 1832. With Bodmer in charge of the pictorial documentary, Prince Maximilian, an experienced and respected traveler and naturalist, set out to put together as complete a study as possible of the western territories of the United States. The result was the publication of Maximilian's journals in successive German, French, and English editions between 1839 and 1843, and with it, a picture atlas of eighty-one aquatint plates after paintings by Bodmer. This picture volume is now regarded as one of the most comprehensive and finest visual surveys of the western territories ever made. Soon after Prince Maximilian and Bodmer's arrival in the United States, the party toured the Eastern United States. As the prince collected biological specimens, Bodmer would illustrate the countryside and occasionally, the specimens themselves. This is Bodmer's image of the penitentiary at Pittsburgh. $925
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"Scene On The Deleware [sic]." Boston: Haskell & Allen, ca. 1850. 8 1/4 x 13. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.
A wonderful view of the upper Delaware River, along the Pennsylvania/New Jersey or perhaps Pennsylvania/New York border. A group of farmers are shown in their field on the alluvial plain, cutting the crop while a small figure appears to ready some refreshment. Charming and unusual. $750
"Beaver Heights. (Near Pittsburgh on the Ohio River.)" From The Ladies' Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted To Literature and Religion. Cincinnati: May 1854. Octavo. Steel engraving. Very good condition.
Another view of western Pennsylvania from Ladies' Repository. This one was issued a year after the Pittsburgh print (cf. above) and it shows the Beaver River near to where it runs into the Ohio River. $110
A. Yeomans. "Danville, Pa. as seen from the Blue Hill." Danville: E.W. Conkling, ca. 1855. 17 1/4 x 25 3/4. Lithograph by E. Schnabel. Printed by P.S. Duval's Steam Lith. Press. A couple short tears at bottom left edge margin, but else excellent. Reps: 3375.
A lovely lithographed view of Danville as seen from across the Susquehanna River on Blue Hill. The print was published by E.W. Conkling from Danville and intended for a local audience. As such, it had to be accurate in order to sell and thus the detailed image of the houses, factories, roads, and so forth in the town provide fascinating detail of the town in the mid-nineteenth century. The print was produced in Philadelphia by the leading lithographic firm of the time, P.S. Duval's press, and the image is charming. Of interest is the long covered bridge shown crossing the Susquehanna, long since demolished. $750
"St. Peter's Church, Brownstown, Pittsburgh, Penn. Southside." Ca. 1874. Two tone lithograph by Packard & Butler, Philadelphia. 11 3/4 x 13 1/4. Panorama of Pittsburgh: 269a.
A folio lithograph showing St. Peter's Church, intended to be sold to members of the congregation, probably shortly after the second building used for the church (shown in the main scene) was consecrated on November 15, 1874. In the top right is an inset for "St. Peter's School," the building for which was the first building used for the church (built 1871-72. The "sister's house" and "priest's residence" are also shown and identified below the image. A horse drawn trolley, with the sign "South Side & Market St.," is shown passing the church. The print includes a line for the name of a Pastor below image. $425
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James Queen. "Explosion of the Alfred Thomas at Easton Pa. March 6th. 1860." Easton: Bixler & Corwin, Easton Pa, 1860. Chromolithograph by P.S. Duval & Son. 12 1/4 x 20 3/4. Excellent condition. Deàk: 755; Reps: 3391.
A rare print of a disaster in Easton, Pennsylvania in 1860. The Alfred Thomas was a small passenger steamship built to run on the Delaware River between Belvidere, New Jersey and Port Jervis, New York, a distance of about 60 miles. Thomas Bishop of Easton was hired to build the hull and Mr. Wells of the South Easton Works commissioned for the steam engine and machinery. The ship, constructed at Easton, was completed and after some trials was declared ready for its maiden voyage. On Tuesday morning, March 6th, the Alfred Thomas set off from Easton, filled with an official party of about 100 passengers and watched by many spectators along the shore. After sailing down the Lehigh and then starting up the Delaware toward Belvidere, the Alfred Thomas moored near the Northampton Street Bridge to let off many of the passengers. The boat, with about 40 remaining passengers, then started upriver but had to put in to shore in order to build up enough steam to proceed against the current. As it set off again, the boiler, which had been brought to full pressure, suddenly erupted in a huge explosion, throwing the passengers far into the air and totally wrecking the boat. The chaos that followed was terrible. "The scene on shore after the explosion, it is altogether impossible to describe. Women, who were fearful that their relations were on board, ran up and down almost distracted, questioning almost every one they met in regard to the dreadful affair." (New York Times, March 7, 1860.) Many were seriously injured and twelve died, including two of the three owners of the boat. This print shows that explosion and it was said to have been based on a "Sketch from Nature" by James Queen, who likely visited the site shortly after the event. It is a classic "disaster" print, the moment of explosion sensationally depicted, with the city of Easton depicted in the left background. It is also a very nice example of the work of the important American artist James Queen and of the chromolithographic work of Philadelphia printmaker, P.S. Duval & Son. $1,800
Prints from The Life of Robert Fulton. Philadelphia, ca. 1860. Tinted lithographs by I.N. Rosenthal. Ca 4 1/2 x 7 3/4. Very good condition.
A fine example of mid-nineteenth century American chromolithography. Chromolithography was originally developed to enable printmakers to produce images of the texture and richness of oil paintings. Some of the most important artists of the period, including Jasper Cropsey, William Harnett, and Frederick Church, had their paintings reproduced using this complex medium. This is one of the most successful such projects, with chromolithographer William Dreser, using many layers of color, being able to closely follow the appearance of the original painting. This print is not only superb artistically, but also has a fascinating history. Uranus H. Crosby, of Chicago, built an opera house which he intended to donate to his city. Construction costs ran much higher than expected and Crosby needed to raise funds to finish. He thus held a lottery, the winner of which was the opera house and another prize of which was the original painting of this scene. In order to increase sales, Crosby gave a copy of this print to anyone who purchased at least four tickets. The scene, by Cropsey, shows the Starucca Valley located between the Blue Ridge and the Catskills. It is a wonderful rendering of a northern Pennsylvania scene in the height of autumn. $1,600
W.G. Armor. "Burning of Union Depot During the Railroad Riot July 21st and 22nd 1877. Pittsburgh, PA." Pittsburgh, ca. 1881. Chromolithograph by Otto Krebs. Engraved on stone by William G. Armor. 14 1/2 x 20 1/2. Repaired tear just into image at left and light water stain in lower left corner. Overall, very good condition.
One of the most traumatic events in Pittsburgh's history was the great railroad strike of 1877. This was the first widespread labor uprising in the United States and a pivotal event in American labor history. The strike began in West Virginia and soon spread throughout the country, increasing in violence until the Federal government intervened and the strike was brought to an end after a month and a half. Pittsburgh was the site of some of the worst violence of the strike. On July 21st, Pennsylvania militia troops were brought in to try to control the situation but things got out of hand. A large mob gathered at the railroad yards-made up of at least as many present only to cause trouble as were actual strikers-and soon there was fighting and an exchange of gun fire between the strikers and militia. By morning the troops were put to flight and the rioters turned to burning and looting.
A local printmaker, Otto Krebs, produced this dramatic print showing the "Burning of the Union Depot During the Railroad Riot July 21st and 22nd 1877. Pittsburgh, PA." This colorful chromolithograph depicts the depot being consumed by flames, with a large, angry mob surrounding it and looking for more trouble. Demand for such a print would have been created both by those who were interested in a memorial of this significant local event and by those who had not been present and were interested to see an image of what transpired. It is likely Krebs would have found a ready market for his print among local citizens, with some copies undoubtedly making it to other parts of the country as well. An interesting note about this print is that the scene was copied, without attribution, from a wood engraving which appeared in Harper's Weekly on August 11, 1877. A list of those killed in the riot is included below the title. $1,800
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Edwin F. Durang (Architect). "St. Joseph's Hospital. Lancaster, Penna. Rev. P. Ignatius Sagerer." Philadelphia, ca. 1877. Tinted lithograph by Packard & Butler. 14 1/2 x 20 1/2. Light stain at top and some minor chipping to edges. Overall, very good condition.
A rare print of St. Joseph's Hospital in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, issued shortly after the hospital was built in 1877. The hospital was founded by Father Ignatius Sagerer, a priest from Germany, as a hospital for men dedicated to St. Joseph. He intended to bring over father's from Germany to run the institution, but it was not successful, supposedly because Lancastrians were suspicious of Papist monks. This print would have been issued at the time of the opening of the hospital as a "souvenir," and it was produced by the Philadelphia lithograph firm of Packard & Butler, who issued similar prints for churches and the like. The brothers were unable to sustain the hospital, so in 1883 it was sold to the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. St. Joseph's Hospital is still in existence today, now called the Lancaster Regional Medical Center. $450
"The Great Conemaugh-Valley Disaster, - Flood & Fire at Johnstown, PA." Chicago: Kurz & Allison, 1890. 17 1/2 x 25. Chromolithograph. Browning at edge of margins. Repaired tear into image from right. Otherwise, very good condition.
The Chicago firm of Kurz & Allison is well remembered for its production of bright, decorative chromolithographs. Founded in 1880, their avowed purpose was to design "for large scale establishments of all kinds, and in originating and placing on the market artistic and fancy prints of the most elaborate workmanship." Elaborate they certainly were-the majority of their prints being extremely busy, with action throughout the image. Drawn in a rigid style that follows from Kurz's background as a muralist, these prints have a simplicity and vividness that makes them not only interesting historical documents but also excellent large scale decorative images. This print is one of the most famous of their output, showing the great Johnston flood of May 31, 1889. It was issued shortly after that tragic event, and it probably provided the image most Americans had of the flood. Typically of the prints by Kurz & Allison, the drama of the event is rather overstated with Victorian melodrama. The vivid colors show a huge wave of water sweeping the town into a bridge, flames pouring from the jumbled buildings. The citizens of Johnstown are scattered about, dead, drowning, burning, trying to escape or attempting to rescue. As much a reflection of the taste of the print buying public as of the events, this print is a wonderful document of the time. $650
Views of Quakertown by Loren James. Twentieth century. Etchings. 5 x 8. Signed and title in pencil. Very good condition.
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