Birch, William "Philadelphia Bank in Fourth Street Philadelphia"

William Birch. "Philadelphia Bank in Fourth Street Philadelphia". From The City of Philadelphia.  

Philadelphia: W. Birch, 1827. Fourth Edition. 5 1/2 x 7 1/8. Engraving. Narrow margins. Paper time toned. Minor stains outside of image. Three repaired tears in bottom margin. Else, good condition. Snyder 38a.

A lovely print from William Birch's City of Philadelphia, a portfolio of images illustrating different scenes of Birch's home town. This volume, when first issued in 1800, was the first comprehensive work on an American city, and its influence was great. Birch issued four editions of the portfolio, updating the work by discarding some prints and adding new scenes including some of buildings built since the volume was initially published. The Philadelphia Bank building was built on the corner of Fourth and Chestnut Streets in 1809, and it was architecturally important as one of the first Gothic Revival buildings in Philadelphia. This company eventually became the Philadelphia National Bank. Interesting to note, there are only two known prints of the Philadelphia Bank, this image and an unusual view called, "The Horizontorium."    

Other prints by William Birch:

High Street Market

State House Garden. Philadelphia

Library & Surgeons Hall, 5th St Philadelphia

Theatre in Chesnut [sic] Street Philadelphia

Destroy'd by Fire in 1820. The Late Theatre in Chestnut Street ...

New Theatre in Chesnut [sic] Street Philadelphia

The New Theatre in Chestnut Street Philadelphia Built 1822. Taken down 1856...

Girard's Bank, late the Bank of the United States ...

Arch Street, with the Second Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia

New Market, in South Second Street Philadelphia

Back of the State House, Philadelphia

Second Street North from Market St. with Christ Church Philadelphia

High Street, with the First Presbyterian Church. Taken down in 1820. Philadelphia

An Unfinished House, in Chestnut Street Philadelphia

The Water Works in Centre Square Philadelphia

Landsdown, the Seat of the late Wm. Bingham, Esq. ...

Bath, Near Bristol, Pennsylvania