Theo. Poleni. “Independence Hall. Philadelphia 1876.”
Philadelphia: Thomas Hunter, 1875. 15 1/8 x 21. Three color tinted lithograph. Very good condition. A/A
A splendid view of Independence Hall, done at the time of the Centennial when the city of Philadelphia was fast becoming a popular visiting place for tourists. This print was issued by Thomas Hunter, who took over the firm of P.S. Duval & Son, and continued to issue excellent prints of Philadelphia. This charming, elevated view shows a full frontal prospect of the historic building with flags flying high and people and carriages moving by in the broad streets that surround it. This ambitious print would have been an appropriate souvenir for the visitor to take away from the city in 1876, at a time when there was an active and nostalgic, as well as intellectual, interest in the beginnings of America and her history. The print is, as well, a valuable glimpse for the modern viewer into what the city of Philadelphia might have looked like a century ago. The block of buildings to the right, which is now a park, was the center of much shopping as well as the printing trades of Philadelphia.