Meyer, Herrman J. "Grand_Spirit_Tables (Lake Pepin)”

“Grand_Spirit_Tables (Lake Pepin).”  From Meyer’s Universum Or Views Of The Most Remarkable Places And Objects Of All Countries. 

New York: Herrmann J. Meyer, 1852.  Steel engraving.  4 x 6 1/8. Octavo. Scattered foxing especially at left.

From 1833 to 1864, the Bibliographischen Institut of Hild­burghausen, Germany, issued a journal, entitled Meyer’s Universum, containing text and steel engravings of all parts of the world.  The business was founded by Joseph Meyer, who was later joined by his son Herrmann.  Joseph admired the United States and in 1849 he sent his son to New York to set up an American branch of their publishing business, the North American Bibliographic Institution.  Herrmann issued an American edition of the Universum (New York: H.J. Meyer; first volume, 1852; second volume 1853.), as well as a new illustrated series called The United States Illustrated.   The American edi­tion of the Universum included some of the prints from the German edition as well as new images commissioned specifically for this work.  After the death of his father in 1856, Herrmann Meyer returned to Germany and assumed control of the Bibliographischen Institut, which is still in business today.   This image of New Orleans is one of the images newly commissioned for the series and it shows the Crescent City as a majestic place.