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[ Return to page one of views of Philadelphia ]
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Charles C. Kuchel. "Commissioner's Hall, Spring Garden." Philadelphia: John N. Henderson, 1851. 17 5/8 x 24 1/4. Lithograph by P.S. Duval. Original hand color. Repaired tear in sky and minor staining in margins. Otherwise, very good condition. Rare. Wainwright, p. 124; Peters, America on Stone, p. 258.
Several of the most celebrated and rarest nineteenth-century Philadelphia prints were the work of the Philadelphia lithographer P.S. Duval. Four ambitious views of the city that Duval produced in the early 1850s are of the finest quality and are now perhaps the most prized 19th-century prints of their type. This print of Commissioner's Hall, Spring Garden is the most scarce of the four views. Duval must not have printed very many of this image, for it is among the least seldom seen of all his wonderful 19th-century views of Philadelphia. This print depicts the City Hall of the Spring Garden district of Philadelphia County not long after the building's completion in 1848. This striking example of Greek Revival architecture was three stories tall, topped by an ornate clock tower. The building stood on the northwest corner of Thirteenth and Spring Garden and at the time was the most elegant commissioner's hall in the country. Spring Garden was first incorporated March 22, 1813. In the mid nineteenth century the district was characterized by extensive manufacturing establishments, such as the Baldwin and Norris Locomotive Work, Powers and Weightman Chemical, United States Mint, and many more. The Spring Garden District is now defunct as a government entity, ceasing to exist in 1854 after it, and other districts, were incorporated into the City of Philadelphia by the Act of Consolidation. $4,200
J.W. Hill & B.F. Smith, Jr. "Philadelphia." From The Ladies' Repository: A Monthly Periodical, Devoted To Literature and Religion. Cincinnati, September, 1855. Octavo. Steel engraving by W. Wellstood. Light stains in bottom left margin. Else, very good condition.
An unusual and scarce steel engraving from The Ladies' Repository. This mid-nineteenth century periodical was produced in Cincinnati by members of the Methodist Church. It was a magazine "Devoted To Literature and Region," containing articles, poetry, fiction, and notes of interest to its readers. One of its most interesting aspects was the inclusion of steel engravings. Many had a religious or "genre" theme, but many were topographical views of different parts of the United States. This magazine had a limited circulation and so these prints are quite a bit more scarce than most steel engravings of the period. Some of the views are based on images by W.H. Bartlett, but others are taken either from some of the large folio views of the period or are drawn first hand for The Ladies' Repository. This excellent view of Philadelphia is based on Hill & Smith's 1850 bird's eye view of the city from Camden. $150
George Lehman. “The Great Elm Tree of Shackamaxon (Now Kensington).” [Philadelphia, ca. 1829]. Reprinted, Philadelphia: William Smith, ca. 1860+. Aquatint by G. Lehman. Full hand color. Very good condition. Framed. Prints of Philadelphia: 79; Fielding: 951; Fowble: 258.
George Lehman, a native of Lancaster, moved to Philadelphia where he became a noted artist, engraver, lithographer and publisher. Perhaps his first work of importance is this lovely view of Philadelphia from Kensington. Though this scene is similar works by William Birch and John James Barralet, Lehman drew his own image of this popular view-point. The famous Treaty Tree stands majestically in the center of the image, with the bustling port of Philadelphia seen in the distance beneath the tree’s branches. There are many boats on the river, and a sailing ship is being constructed on the beach at left. A number of pedestrians are shown in the foreground, including an artist sitting beneath the tree making a sketch. Interestingly, a family of goats seems to have lived around the Treaty Tree, for Barralet showed goats in his watercolor of 1796, and three goats are also shown in Lehman’s view, one walking along a branch of the tree itself. $2,400
William H. Rease. "Joseph Ripka's Mills. Manayunk 21st. Ward." 18 1/2 x 30. Lithograph printed by Wagner & McGuigan. Very good condition. Prints of Philadelphia: 188; Wainwright: 211.
In 1856, J.H. Colton & Co. issued a Philadelphia commercial edition of its Atlas of America. Included amongst the many fine maps were advertisements for numerous Philadelphia firms. Several of the larger businesses purchased larger, double page illustrations of their businesses. These are amongst the most interesting and decorative trade ads of the period, and this ad, for Joseph Ripka's Mills, is one the best from the Colton atlas for it shows the town of Manayunk, now a very popular section of Philadelphia. In the mid-nineteenth century, Manayunk--which took its name from the Indian word meaning "place of drinking"--was a very prosperous mill town. It had its origins in the dam, canal and locks built by the Schuylkill Navigation Company in 1821. The regular use of this canal, the steady stream of water power, and the easy transportation to Philadelphia and markets further afield created a good business climate for the mill owners of Manayunk. Joseph Ripka, "Manufacturer of all descriptions of Plain & Fancy Cottanades For Men & Boy's Clothing," had set up his mills in Manayunk in 1831 and by the time of this print he was the largest cotton manufacturer in the United States. His mills are depicted from a vantage point on the west bank of the Schuylkill, with the growing town surrounding them. On top of the ridge behind the mills is the shown the then small community of Roxborough. A wonderful industrial image and the most desirable view of Manayunk. $1,750
Go to page with other advertisements from Colton's Atlas
James Queen. "Buildings of the Great Central Fair, in Aid of the U.S. Sanitary Commission." Philadelphia: P.S. Duval & Son., 1864. 12 3/8 x 26 1/4. Chromolithograph by J. Queen. Some staining in the margins. Printed title enhanced by hand. Otherwise, very good condition. With separate manuscript dedication note. Déak: 789; Prints of Philadelphia: 199; Wainwright: 35.
James Queen, a native Philadelphian, was an accomplished lithographic artist, P.S. Duval's principal draftsman. He drew views, disasters, portraits, music covers, advertisements, certificates, illustrations and any other subject Duval needed. During the Civil War, when artists were in short supply, Duval wrote to a friend: "James Queen is still with us and is now one of the best artists in the country." In June 1864, Philadelphia mounted the Great Central Fair to benefit the U.S. Sanitary Commission, which worked towards the relief of wounded and sick Union troops. Contributions for the fair were raised and temporary buildings were erected on Logan Square. This print depicts the fair buildings from the northwest, with the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul shown prominently on the far side. Two large rotundas are portrayed flanking the main exhibit hall, a vaulted gallery designed by Strickland Kneass that extended from Eighteenth to Logan (Nineteenth) Street. The fair lasted only three weeks, but it drew great crowds, especially during President Lincoln's visit on June 16th. The fair was a great success, raising over a million dollars for the cause.
Accompanying this print is the following manuscript note: "Presented to Wm. Stavely, Esq. in testimony of my appreciation of his valuable services as Chairman of the Bucks Co. Pa. Committee on Agriculture, Great Central Fair. Alfred L. Kennedy, Chairman General Committee on Agriculture, Philadelphia July 1, 1864." William Stavely was a respected Bucks County farmer who had a successful career in the printing business prior to his retiring to Bucks County. Alfred L Kennedy (1818-1896) was a physician, born and educated in Philadelphia. He studied civil and mining engineering and also medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. Kennedy was also a well know expert in medical chemistry and botany. During the Civil War he acted as a volunteer surgeon of the 2d army corps in the Gettysburg hospital, and in 1863 was commissioned colonel of volunteer engineers. He was vice president of the American Agricultural Congress and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society in 1876. $2,100
James Queen. "Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon Of Philadelphia." Philadelphia: T. Sinclair, 1861. 17 1/4 x 28 1/4. Chromolithograph. Remargined a bottom. Chip in upper left corner of margin. Expertly repaired tears in left and right margins, just into image. Light soiling. Prints of Philadelphia: 196; Wainwright: 412.
A lively Philadelphia view drawn by one of the city's most prominent lithographic artists. James Queen was a native Philadelphian who was apprenticed as a lithographer to the firm of Lehman & Duval in 1835, when he was just 15. He stayed with the firm for as long as it remained open, mastering his craft so well that he became Duval's principal draftsman. During the Civil War, when artists were in short supply, Duval wrote to a friend: "James Queen is still with us and is now one of the best artists in the country." This print is a wonderful example of his work.
In the Civil War, large numbers of soldiers passed through Philadelphia on their way south. Troops from the northeast were ferried across the Delaware River to the foot of Washington Avenue, whence they marched to the depot of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad. There they boarded trains that took them across Gray's Ferry and south towards the war. A local grocer, Barzilai S. Brown, conceived the notion of an organized volunteer group to provide encouragement and sustenance for the soldiers on their brief transit through Philadelphia. His idea led to the opening of the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon, which was located at the southwest corner of Swanson and Washington Avenues. Here the troops were furnished with washing facilities, food, and the opportunity of writing letters home, which were then stamped for free.
This bright and lively scene shows one group of troops just disembarked and marching towards the saloon. Another group of soldiers, suitably fed and encouraged, is depicted boarding a railroad carriage. These troops are accompanied by a uniformed marching band and enthusiastically cheered by a throng of spectators. Beneath the image is listed a roster of people connected with the organization. These volunteers had much to be proud of, for by the time the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon was closed in 1865, nearly 900,000 men had passed through and received a warm Philadelphia welcome. $1.800
James Queen. "View of the Philadelphia Volunteer Refreshment Saloons." Philadelphia: T. Sinclair, 1861. 23 1/4 x 28 1/2. Chromolithograph by T. Sinclair. Several expertly repaired tears. Part of text on one inset affected, but otherwise very good appearance and condition. Wainwright: 434.
The Union Volunteers Refreshment Saloon was followed shortly by the Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon. This print is comprised of six scenes, also drawn by Queen, shows the workings of both of these two saloons. Exterior and interior scenes give an excellent idea of the efforts of the volunteers to add some comfort to the troops on their way to the front. Beneath the images is listed a roster of people connected with the organizations. $2,600
"Camp 'N.P. Banks,' Col. Collis' Regiment of Zouaves D'Afrique. Above Nicetown Lane, Near Germantown, Pa." Philadelphia: L.N. Rosenthal, 1862. Ca. 13 1/2 x 21. Chromolithograph. Some wear in margins and repaired tear at left extending ca. 1 1/2" into image. Otherwise, very good condition and excellent appearance. Not in Wainwright.
A rare scene of a Zouave regiment encampment in the Huntington Park section of Philadelphia ("Nicetown Lane" is now Hunting Park Ave), shown in the image as totally undeveloped. Zouave volunteer regiments were formed during the Civil War, taking the name and uniform style of the original Zouaves, French infantry troops from North Africa. The regiment shown here was one of the first Zouaves, originally raised by Capt. Charles H.T. Collis in 1861 and including many French soldiers who had served with the original Zouaves of France. The original intent of the corps was to serve as bodyguards to General N.P. Banks The corps was involved in a number of actions under General N.P. Banks. In 1862, Collis was commissioned a colonel and sent to Philadelphia to enlarge his command to a full regiment. This print would have been issued in the summer of 1862, perhaps in part to help with his recruitment. Life in the regiment is shown as dashing and easy, members of the regiment, in their full "d'Afrique" uniforms, are shown relaxing in front of their tents, neatly laid out in a verdant field. A listing of the officers in the regiment is listed below the image, but no name is given for the Lieut. Colonel nor for the third regiment doctor, indicating that this print was issued as the regiment was being filled. $2,800
James Queen. "Philadelphia Zouave Corps. Pennsylvania Volunteers." Philadelphia: P.S. Duval & Son, ca. 1860. Ca. 14 x 18. Chromolithograph by P.S. Duval & Son. Lithographed by Aug. Feusier. Minor chips at margins; otherwise, excellent condition. Wainwright: 291.
Several of the most celebrated and rarest nineteenth-century Philadelphia prints were the work of the Philadelphia lithographer P.S. Duval. From about 1835 until his retirement in 1869, Duval dominated the city's energetic printmaking scene publishing numerous lithographic portraits, periodical illustrations, and historical works. Duval was a prominent local citizen and a spirited businessman, being the only lithographer to be admitted to the city's Board of Trade before the Civil War. He was also an innovator, the first to adapt steam power to the running of all his presses, and one of the early enthusiasts for the possibilities of printing in color. A final key ingredient to Duval's success was his ability to attract the very best lithographic artists to work for him. James Queen, a native Philadelphian, was apprenticed as a lithographer to the firm of Lehman & Duval in 1835 when he was just fifteen. Queen soon became an accomplished lithographic artist, establishing himself as Duval's principal draftsman. He drew views, disasters, portraits, music covers, advertisements, certificates, illustrations and any other subject Duval needed. During the Civil War, when artists were in short supply, Duval wrote to a friend, "James Queen is still with us and is now one of the best artists in the country."
This is a wonderful and rare Philadelphia image that combines the talents of these two important printmakers. The subject is the Philadelphia Zouave Corps of volunteers. They are shown lined up, marching along in front of Independence Hall, shown with excellent detail in the background. The Philadelphia Zouave Corps was formed in 1860 and this print was probably issued about that time to be sold to volunteers and their families. Zouave volunteer regiments were formed during the Civil War, taking the name and uniform style of the original Zouaves, French infantry troops from North Africa. The uniforms were soon discarded as impractical and the Zouave regiments faded away after the war. $3,400
"Satterlee U.S.A. General Hospital, West Philadelphia." New York: Charles Magnus, 1864. Lithograph with original hand color. Ca. 10 1/2 x 17. Very good condition.
During the American Civil War, Charles Magnus printed many images for use by military personnel and the general public in the form of letterhead writing paper and envelopes and souvenirs such as this separately issued print. These were sold during the war years and often sent home to show the family where the boys and men were stationed. No doubt, such pictures were sold after the war at regimental reunions, so they had an active market.
Situated close to much of the fighting, but itself a safe haven, Philadelphia became the main site of U.S. military hospitals during the Civil War. The 4,500 bed Satterlee Hospital was located in an area bounded by present-day Baltimore Avenue, 43rd, Pine and 46th Streets. $625
James Queen. "Mower U.S.A. General Hospital,/ Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia." Philadelphia: P. S. Duval, 1865. 11 3/4 x 20 1/2. Chromolithograph. Good margins. With repaired tear in bottom margin, extending into title area. Print conserved and line. Very good appearance and condition. Scarce.
James Queen, a native Philadelphian, was apprenticed as a lithographer to the firm of Lehman & Duval in 1835, when he was just 15. Queen soon became an accomplished lithographic artist, establishing himself as Duval's principal draftsman. He drew views, disasters, portraits, music covers, advertisements, certificates, illustrations and any other subject Duval needed. This is a refined print of one of the important Civil War hospitals located in Philadelphia. The bird's eye view gives us an excellent sense of the 47 building complex that once housed 4000 patients and was the largest such hospital in Philadelphia. The complex, designed by John McArthur, was bounded by Abington and Springfield Avenues, on a site that was opposite the present Wyndmoor Station. The highly skillful execution together with the impressive detail of daily comings and goings give the print great life and immense historical interest. One of only a few nineteenth century prints of Chestnut Hill. Ref.: Wainwright, p. 169. $1,400
"Trotting Cracks of Philadelphia Returning from the Race at Point Breeze Park, having a brush past Turner's Hotel, Rope Ferry Road, Philadelphia, 1870." Philadelphia: H. Pharazyn, 1870. 16 1/2 x 27 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Marginal tears and some chips; one tear and small hole in title area. All expertly conserved. Overall, very good condition and appearance. In period frame. America On Stone: p. 325.
A rare and delightful print "respectfully dedicated to the Lovers of Horses and the Sporting Public in general." It shows a 17 "lovers of horses" driving their trotting cracks past Turner's Hotel in south Philadelphia. Turner's Hotel was owned by John C. Turner, a professional trotter driver and sportsman. It was located on Rope Ferry Road and the trotting cracks were passing by after having been at a race at Point Breeze Park. The hotel had a large barn for horses and carriages, shown in the background, and its patrons, shown watching the trotters, obviously shared Turner's enthusiasm for horses and trotting cracks. It is interesting that the artist is not given, but each of the horses is identified. As Peters says, "Those were the days when horses were far more important than artists. $3,600
A pair of drawing by Frank Hamilton Taylor (1846-1927), a native of Rochester, New York, who served briefly in the Civil War and afterwards relocated to Philadelphia. There he worked for a lithographic firm and then established his own business in the 1870s. He also became a "special artist," sketching for publications such as the Daily Graphic and Harper's Weekly. He turned to writing articles as well as illustrating them, later publishing books on topics such as the Civil War (Philadelphia in the Civil War, 1860-1865), Valley Forge Park, the Alan Wood Steel Company, Ocean City, N. J., and the Port of Philadelphia. Aware of the importance of historical documentation, Taylor documented the appearance of Philadelphia in the past, publishing many of his illustrations in Ever-Changing Philadelphia. These watercolors are fine examples of his work.
In the nineteenth century, "rush" lithographs were one of the few ways that the general public had access to visual information of events which interested them such as elections, battles and disasters. These prints were rushed out shortly after the events by publishers hoping to sell them as sensational broadsides. The images were often drawn after "on the spot" sketches, though sometimes they were made up out of whole cloth. The year 1856 was a bad one for disasters around Philadelphia, including a spectacular fire on the ferry between Philadelphia and Camden. On March 15, 1856, the ferry caught fire, and because of the ice in the river and a loss of steering, the ferry was never able to reach the shore. Sixty one lost their lives; the names of the "dead," "missing," and "saved" are listed below the image. $650
C. Inger. "Philadelphia, 1876." Philadelphia: D. Hensel, 1876. 17 1/8 x 25 1/8. "Chromotic View" (chromolithograph) by C. Inger. Faint damp staining in upper section of image. Repaired tear in upper left margin. Otherwise, very good condition.
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. $1,850
F.B. Schell. "The New Philadelphia City Hall." New York: Harper's Weekly, July 5, 1884. 20 x 13 1/2. Wood engraving. Prints of Philadelphia: 261.
Philadelphia city government was housed in Independence Hall during the first part of the nineteenth century. By 1868 the facilities were clearly inadequate and so a commission was appointed to design a new city hall next to the old State House. A public outcry forced cancellation of these plans and in 1870 a vote was held to determine whether to locate the new building at Washington Square or Penn Square. The result was narrowly in favor of the latter. An elaborate Victorian edifice was designed by John McArthur Jr., assisted by Thomas U. Walter. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1874, and the structure took years to build, costing $25 million. It was finally opened in 1881, at which time it was the largest office building in the world. This excellent print shows City Hall from a bird's eye perspective. In the top corners and along the bottom are smaller images showing other views of the building. This is one of the best prints of this impressive structure, which still stands as a proud centerpiece for the city. $475
L.H. Jamison. “Shoemaker Mansion.” 1903. Photo engraving. 11 1/2 x 18 5/8 (image). Small chip in upper left and short crease top center. Otherwise very good condition.
Believed to have been erected by Isaac Schumacher [Shoemaker] (born 1669 in Germany, immigrated 1686, died 1732 in Germantown) and demolished c. 1840, this Germantown Avenue house stood at the northeast corner of Penn Street (formerly known as Shoemaker’s Lane), currently 5301-5303 Germantown Avenue. The land on which the house stood was part of the German Township’s “Lot Number 8 Towards Bristol,” originally granted in 1689 to Gerhard Heinrichs [Hendricks] whose daughter Sarah married Isaac in 1693.
Notable Shoemaker descendants who owned the house were Isaac’s son Benjamin (1704-1767) and his son Samuel (1725-1800), each of whom served as Philadelphia Mayor, City Treasurer and member of the Provincial Council, among other offices. (Keyser, et. al, History of Old Germantown [1907], Hotchkin, Ancient and Modern Germantown, Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill [1889].)
Interestingly, the main entrance to the house was in the rear. The street entrance as shown was directly into the cellar, thus making the house appear a full story taller than it actually was.
Nothing is known of Jamison, other than that the historic house museum “Stenton” possesses a small, framed 1899 sketch of the Stenton landscape by the artist. $600
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