Queen, James “Armory of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry”

James Queen. “Armory of the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry.” 

Philadelphia: P.S. Duval & Son, 1863.  11 x 15 3/8.  Chromolithograph.  Almost invisible irregular vertical tear down the middle of the print from top margin to title in bottom margin skillfully repaired.  Vertical three inch tear down middle of flag pole skillfully repaired.  Chip in top margin filled.  Several short tears in margins and in title area skillfully repaired.  Print is entirely backed and reinforced with archival tissue paper.  Else, fine condition.  Very rare.  Wainwright: 20   A/A

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. Chromolithography involves the application of oil colors in various sequences or stages in order to provide certain shading and coloring.   For each color that was used, a different lithographic stone was needed. 

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.” 

Originally, this armory stood on the south west corner of Ludlow and Twenty First Streets.  In 1874 it was enlarged in conjunction with the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the First City Troop.  Unfortunately, the roof collapsed under the weight of a heavy snow fall in 1899 and a new armory was built at Twenty third and Ranstead which is still in use by the Troop today.