Views of Philadelphia have appeared in print ever since the eighteenth century,
and they present a fascinating graphic account of the history of the city.
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J.C. Wild. "U.S. Naval Asylum." From Views of Philadelphia and its Vicinity. Philadelphia: J.C. Wild & J.B. Chevalier, 1838. Quarto. Lithograph by J.C. Wild. Original hand coloring. Very good condition. Framed.
A lovely hand-colored view of the U.S. naval Asylum in Philadelphia. Wild was a Swiss artist who studied in Paris, and then came to Philadelphia around 1831. Soon after he moved to Cincinnati and then back to Philadelphia in 1837. At that time he formed a partnership with J.B. Chevalier to publish a series of small lithographs illustrating the city of Philadelphia. The intent was to sell the prints inexpensively, at a rate of 25 cents for two images, and this was done in part in conjunction with the Saturday Courier, which used the prints in its promotions. The prints were all issued in 1838, and when completed they were sold in a bound volume. The complete work consisted of twenty lovely scenes of Philadelphia and four additional larger prints that show the views from Independence Hall tower in the four cardinal directions. The project was not, however, a success for Wild, and in that year he left Philadelphia to move to the mid-west. Though he stayed only a short time in the city, Wild's twenty seven views of Philadelphia are amongst the most notable of the nineteenth century. $425
Go to page with listing of more of Wild's views of Philadelphia
Charles C. Kuchel. "Commissioner's Hall, Spring Garden." Philadelphia: John N. Henderson, 1851. 17 5/8 x 24 1/4. Lithograph by P.S. Duval. Original hand color. Repaired tear in sky and minor staining in margins. Otherwise, very good condition. Rare. Wainwright, p. 124; Peters, America on Stone, p. 258.
Several of the most celebrated and rarest nineteenth-century Philadelphia prints were the work of the Philadelphia lithographer P.S. Duval. Four ambitious views of the city that Duval produced in the early 1850s are of the finest quality and are now perhaps the most prized 19th-century prints of their type. This print of Commissioner's Hall, Spring Garden is the most scarce of the four views. Duval must not have printed very many of this image, for it is among the least seldom seen of all his wonderful 19th-century views of Philadelphia. This print depicts the City Hall of the Spring Garden district of Philadelphia County not long after the building's completion in 1848. This striking example of Greek Revival architecture was three stories tall, topped by an ornate clock tower. The building stood on the northwest corner of Thirteenth and Spring Garden and at the time was the most elegant commissioner's hall in the country. Spring Garden was first incorporated March 22, 1813. In the mid nineteenth century the district was characterized by extensive manufacturing establishments, such as the Baldwin and Norris Locomotive Work, Powers and Weightman Chemical, United States Mint, and many more. The Spring Garden District is now defunct as a government entity, ceasing to exist in 1854 after it, and other districts, were incorporated into the City of Philadelphia by the Act of Consolidation. $4,200
Thomas M. Scott. "Tamany Fish House, on the Pea Shore, R. Delaware." Philadelphia: P.S. Duval & Co., ca. 1852. 17 3/8 x 25 3/8. Lithograph with original hand color. Good margins. Slight staining in margins. Overall, very good condition.
This is one of Duval's four most prized prints, and some consider this to be Duval's masterpiece. The lovely and elegant subject is a Philadelphia club, founded in 1809 and left standing for over 100 years. The clubhouse, shown here as it was remodeled in 1834, was located on the New Jersey shore about two miles north of Camden. $3,500
George Lehman. “The Great Elm Tree of Shackamaxon (Now Kensington).” [Philadelphia, ca. 1829]. Reprinted, Philadelphia: William Smith, ca. 1860+. Aquatint by G. Lehman. Full hand color. Very good condition. Framed. Prints of Philadelphia: 79; Fielding: 951; Fowble: 258.
George Lehman, a native of Lancaster, moved to Philadelphia where he became a noted artist, engraver, lithographer and publisher. Perhaps his first work of importance is this lovely view of Philadelphia from Kensington. Though this scene is similar works by William Birch and John James Barralet, Lehman drew his own image of this popular view-point. The famous Treaty Tree stands majestically in the center of the image, with the bustling port of Philadelphia seen in the distance beneath the tree’s branches. There are many boats on the river, and a sailing ship is being constructed on the beach at left. A number of pedestrians are shown in the foreground, including an artist sitting beneath the tree making a sketch. Interestingly, a family of goats seems to have lived around the Treaty Tree, for Barralet showed goats in his watercolor of 1796, and three goats are also shown in Lehman’s view, one walking along a branch of the tree itself. $2,400
James Queen. "Buildings of the Great Central Fair, in Aid of the U.S. Sanitary Commission." Philadelphia: P.S. Duval & Son., 1864. 12 3/8 x 26 1/4. Chromolithograph by J. Queen. Some staining in the margins. Printed title enhanced by hand. Otherwise, very good condition. With separate manuscript dedication note. Déak: 789; Prints of Philadelphia: 199; Wainwright: 35.
James Queen, a native Philadelphian, was an accomplished lithographic artist, P.S. 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." In June 1864, Philadelphia mounted the Great Central Fair to benefit the U.S. Sanitary Commission, which worked towards the relief of wounded and sick Union troops. Contributions for the fair were raised and temporary buildings were erected on Logan Square. This print depicts the fair buildings from the northwest, with the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul shown prominently on the far side. Two large rotundas are portrayed flanking the main exhibit hall, a vaulted gallery designed by Strickland Kneass that extended from Eighteenth to Logan (Nineteenth) Street. The fair lasted only three weeks, but it drew great crowds, especially during President Lincoln's visit on June 16th. The fair was a great success, raising over a million dollars for the cause.
Accompanying this print is the following manuscript note: "Presented to Wm. Stavely, Esq. in testimony of my appreciation of his valuable services as Chairman of the Bucks Co. Pa. Committee on Agriculture, Great Central Fair. Alfred L. Kennedy, Chairman General Committee on Agriculture, Philadelphia July 1, 1864." William Stavely was a respected Bucks County farmer who had a successful career in the printing business prior to his retiring to Bucks County. Alfred L Kennedy (1818-1896) was a physician, born and educated in Philadelphia. He studied civil and mining engineering and also medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. Kennedy was also a well know expert in medical chemistry and botany. During the Civil War he acted as a volunteer surgeon of the 2d army corps in the Gettysburg hospital, and in 1863 was commissioned colonel of volunteer engineers. He was vice president of the American Agricultural Congress and the Pennsylvania Agricultural Society in 1876. $2,100
James Queen. "View of the Philadelphia Volunteer Refreshment Saloons." Philadelphia: T. Sinclair, 1861. 23 1/4 x 28 1/2. Chromolithograph by T. Sinclair. Several expertly repaired tears. Part of text on one inset affected, but otherwise very good appearance and condition. Wainwright: 434.
A lively Philadelphia view drawn by one of the city's most prominent lithographic artists. James Queen was a native Philadelphian who was apprenticed as a lithographer to the firm of Lehman & Duval in 1835, when he was just 15. He stayed with the firm for as long as it remained open, mastering his craft so well that he became Duval's principal draftsman. 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." This print is a wonderful example of his work.
This print is comprised of six scenes, drawn by Queen, showing the workings of these two saloons. Exterior and interior scenes give an excellent idea of the efforts of the volunteers to add some comfort to the troops on their way to the front. Beneath the images is listed a roster of people connected with the organizations. These volunteers had much to be proud of, for by the time the saloons closed in 1865, nearly 900,000 men had passed through and received a warm Philadelphia welcome. $2,600
"Satterlee U.S.A. General Hospital, West Philadelphia." New York: Charles Magnus, 1864. Lithograph with original hand color. Ca. 10 1/2 x 17. Very good condition. In period frame.
During the American Civil War, Charles Magnus printed many images for use by military personnel and the general public in the form of letterhead writing paper and envelopes and souvenirs such as this separately issued print. These were sold during the war years and often sent home to show the family where the boys and men were stationed. No doubt, such pictures were sold after the war at regimental reunions, so they had an active market.
Situated close to much of the fighting, but itself a safe haven, Philadelphia became the main site of U.S. military hospitals during the Civil War. The 4,500 bed Satterlee Hospital was located in an area bounded by present-day Baltimore Avenue, 43rd, Pine and 46th Streets. $675
James Queen. "Mower U.S.A. General Hospital,/ Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia." Philadelphia: P. S. Duval, 1865. 11 3/4 x 20 1/2. Chromolithograph. Good margins. With repaired tear in bottom margin, extending into title area. Print conserved and line. Very good appearance and condition. Scarce.
James Queen, a native Philadelphian, was apprenticed as a lithographer to the firm of Lehman & Duval in 1835, when he was just 15. 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. This is a refined print of one of the important Civil War hospitals located in Philadelphia. The bird's eye view gives us an excellent sense of the 47 building complex that once housed 4000 patients and was the largest such hospital in Philadelphia. The complex, designed by John McArthur, was bounded by Abington and Springfield Avenues, on a site that was opposite the present Wyndmoor Station. The highly skillful execution together with the impressive detail of daily comings and goings give the print great life and immense historical interest. One of only a few nineteenth century prints of Chestnut Hill. Ref.: Wainwright, p. 169. $1,400
"Trotting Cracks of Philadelphia Returning from the Race at Point Breeze Park, having a brush past Turner's Hotel, Rope Ferry Road, Philadelphia, 1870." Philadelphia: H. Pharazyn, 1870. 16 1/2 x 27 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Marginal tears and some chips; one tear and small hole in title area. All expertly conserved. Overall, very good condition and appearance. In period frame. America On Stone: p. 325.
A rare and delightful print "respectfully dedicated to the Lovers of Horses and the Sporting Public in general." It shows a 17 "lovers of horses" driving their trotting cracks past Turner's Hotel in south Philadelphia. Turner's Hotel was owned by John C. Turner, a professional trotter driver and sportsman. It was located on Rope Ferry Road and the trotting cracks were passing by after having been at a race at Point Breeze Park. The hotel had a large barn for horses and carriages, shown in the background, and its patrons, shown watching the trotters, obviously shared Turner's enthusiasm for horses and trotting cracks. It is interesting that the artist is not given, but each of the horses is identified. As Peters says, "Those were the days when horses were far more important than artists. $3,600
"Terrible Conflagration and Destruction of the Steam-Boat 'New-Jersey,' on the River Delaware, opposite Philadelphia, on the Night of Saturday, March 15th, 1856, between 8 and 9 o'clock, by which Dreadful Calamity Sixty-One lives were lost." Philadelphia: A. Pharazin, 1856. 7 5/8 x 12 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.
In the nineteenth century, "rush" lithographs were one of the few ways that the general public had access to visual information of events which interested them such as elections, battles and disasters. These prints were rushed out shortly after the events by publishers hoping to sell them as sensational broadsides. The images were often drawn after "on the spot" sketches, though sometimes they were made up out of whole cloth. The year 1856 was a bad one for disasters around Philadelphia, including a spectacular fire on the ferry between Philadelphia and Camden. On March 15, 1856, the ferry caught fire, and because of the ice in the river and a loss of steering, the ferry was never able to reach the shore. Sixty one lost their lives; the names of the "dead," "missing," and "saved" are listed below the image. $650
F.B. Schell. "The New Philadelphia City Hall." New York: Harper's Weekly, July 5, 1884. 20 x 13 1/2. Wood engraving. Prints of Philadelphia: 261.
Philadelphia city government was housed in Independence Hall during the first part of the nineteenth century. By 1868 the facilities were clearly inadequate and so a commission was appointed to design a new city hall next to the old State House. A public outcry forced cancellation of these plans and in 1870 a vote was held to determine whether to locate the new building at Washington Square or Penn Square. The result was narrowly in favor of the latter. An elaborate Victorian edifice was designed by John McArthur Jr., assisted by Thomas U. Walter. The cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1874, and the structure took years to build, costing $25 million. It was finally opened in 1881, at which time it was the largest office building in the world. This excellent print shows City Hall from a bird's eye perspective. In the top corners and along the bottom are smaller images showing other views of the building. This is one of the best prints of this impressive structure, which still stands as a proud centerpiece for the city. $475
L.H. Jamison. “Shoemaker Mansion.” 1903. Photo engraving. 11 1/2 x 18 5/8 (image). Small chip in upper left and short crease top center. Otherwise very good condition.
Believed to have been erected by Isaac Schumacher [Shoemaker] (born 1669 in Germany, immigrated 1686, died 1732 in Germantown) and demolished c. 1840, this Germantown Avenue house stood at the northeast corner of Penn Street (formerly known as Shoemaker’s Lane), currently 5301-5303 Germantown Avenue. The land on which the house stood was part of the German Township’s “Lot Number 8 Towards Bristol,” originally granted in 1689 to Gerhard Heinrichs [Hendricks] whose daughter Sarah married Isaac in 1693.
Notable Shoemaker descendants who owned the house were Isaac’s son Benjamin (1704-1767) and his son Samuel (1725-1800), each of whom served as Philadelphia Mayor, City Treasurer and member of the Provincial Council, among other offices. (Keyser, et. al, History of Old Germantown [1907], Hotchkin, Ancient and Modern Germantown, Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill [1889].)
Interestingly, the main entrance to the house was in the rear. The street entrance as shown was directly into the cellar, thus making the house appear a full story taller than it actually was.
Nothing is known of Jamison, other than that the historic house museum “Stenton” possesses a small, framed 1899 sketch of the Stenton landscape by the artist. $600
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