Birch, Thomas “The Upper Ferry Bridge over the River Schuylkill near Morris Street in the County of Philadelphia”

Thomas Birch.  “The Upper Ferry Bridge over the River Schuylkill near Morris Street in the County of Philadelphia.” 

Philadelphia, ca. 1814-19.  14 x 19 3/4 (image).  Engraving by Jacob J. Plocher.  Very good condition.  A/A  

The subject of this distinctive Philadelphia view is the Upper Ferry or Fairmount Bridge, a covered bridge over the Schuylkill at Fairmount.  The bridge was built between 1809 and 1812.  It was made entirely of wood and spanned a distance of 340 feet.  Until it was destroyed by fire in 1838 the bridge was a Philadelphia landmark, both for its fine appearance and as an engineering feat.  Thomas Birch worked on this print with another celebrated local engraver, Jacob Plocher.  The result is a charming and detailed image showing the bridge off against the lush surroundings of Fairmount Park.  Several of the park houses can be seen in the distance, and in the foreground a boat on the Schuylkill River and several incidental figures, horses, and a wagon animate the scene.  As a print that is both informative and visually effective, this is one of the prized early Philadelphia views.  Ref: Stauffer, American Engravers, 2549; G. G. Deak.  Picturing America 1497-1899.  Princeton, 1988.  #314; Snyder, Mirror of America, 754; Wolf, Philadelphia, p. 134.