Essay on Paper, Read in the Public Meeting held by Cercle des Philadelphes, August 15, 1788

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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In the second half of the 18th century, the French colony of Saint-Domingue emerged as one of the wealthiest territories in the Western hemisphere. Its economy was heavily based on slave labor and the production of sugar. Cap-Français (present-day Cap-Haïten) was the cultural capital of the colony and one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the Americas. In August 1785 a group of white residents of the city founded the Cercle des Philadelphes, a society whose aim was to elevate the intellectual and cultural level of their colony. In its brief seven-year existence, the society became one of the most prestigious of the colonial learned societies. Its members applied themselves to the study of the physical conditions, natural history, and medicine of the colony, with the goal of promoting improvements in agriculture, manufactures, and the arts and sciences. Presented here is the published version of an essay that was read to the society on August 15, 1788, on the topic of the preservation of paper. The author, Charles Arthaud, was royal physician and head of the society. The essay contains a review of the methods used by different civilizations, including the Egyptian, Roman, Chinese, and pre-Columbian Mexican and Peruvian, to create and preserve a written documentary record, and it offers observations on the types of paper that seemed best able to resist damage and destruction by insects in the tropical climate. The essay concludes by noting the decision of the society to sponsor a competition and to offer a prize to anyone who could succeed in manufacturing in the colony an insect-resistant paper. The book is from Les imprimés à Saint-Domingue (Imprints from Saint-Domingue), a collection held by the Bibliothèque Haïtienne des Pères du Saint-Esprit that includes approximately 150 texts printed in Saint-Domingue before independence in 1804. The books were produced between 1764 and 1804 at presses in Cap-Français, Port-au-Prince, and Les Cayes and were digitized in 2006 with the support of the L’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

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Almanac of Saint-Domingue for the Year 1765, with the Names of the Public Officials in the Colony

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This almanac of the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) for the year 1765 was published by the firm of Antoine Marie, official printers for the colony, in Cap-Français (present-day Cap-Haïtien). The book begins with a listing of the major Catholic religious holidays, predicted eclipses, and other general information, followed by entries for the twelve months of the year. The listing for each month shows the days of the month, the saint or religious feast associated with each day, and the four phases of the moon (full, last quarter, new, and first quarter) for the month. The calendar of months is followed by a list of the princes and princesses of France and their dates of birth, beginning with King Louis XV and his wife, Queen Marie. Most of the remainder of the book is taken up by a comprehensive listing of the government and religious officials in the colony, such as the members of the royal council and other governing officials, the apostolic prefect and the curés of all parishes, naval and military officers, judges and lawyers, notaries, and many others. The last pages are taken up by a schedule of the courier services on the island linking the towns and cities of Fort-Dauphin (present-day Fort-Liberté), Port-de-Paix, Port-au-Prince, Saint-Marc, Léogane, and several other locations. Almanach de Saint Domingue pour l'année 1765 is one of the earliest books printed in the colony. The book is from Les imprimés à Saint-Domingue (Imprints from Saint-Domingue), a collection held by the Bibliothèque Haïtienne des Pères du Saint-Esprit that includes approximately 150 texts printed in Saint-Domingue before independence in 1804. The books were produced between 1764 and 1804 at presses in Cap-Français, Port-au-Prince, and Les Cayes and were digitized in 2006 with the support of the L’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

Proclamation. In the Name of the Republic. We, Etienne Polverel and Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, Civil Officers of the Republic, Whom the French Nation Sent to this Country to Establish Law and Order

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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The broadside presented here is a rare copy of the official Creole text, translated from the French, of a proclamation issued in the colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) granting freedom to enslaved women and to the children of newly emancipated slaves. The articles describe the procedures by which slaves could be married and the laws that governed the status of women and children after marriage. The document also specifies the value of women and of children of both sexes by age and thereby the amount of indemnity to be paid to their masters. The translation into Creole was a radical step, taken so that the slaves might know exactly what rights they had under the proclamation. In August 1791, slaves in Saint-Domingue staged a massive revolt, setting in train the chain of events that ultimately led to the founding of independent Haiti in 1804. In 1792, the de facto government of revolutionary France sent Etienne Polverel and Léger-Félicité Sonthonax as civil commissioners to the colony for the purpose of enforcing a decree by the National Assembly enfranchising free blacks and mulattoes, but that did not yet free the colony’s slaves. Under growing pressure from the revolt and threatened by invading British forces, on August 29, 1793, Sonthonax issued a decree freeing the slaves in the northern part of the colony, for which he was responsible. Polverel followed two weeks later with a proclamation freeing all slaves in the west. The proclamation presented here was issued by both Polverel and Sonthonax— in the name of the French Republic. The document is from Les imprimés à Saint-Domingue (Imprints from Saint-Dominique), a collection held by the Bibliothèque Haïtienne des Pères du Saint-Esprit that includes approximately 150 texts printed in Saint-Domingue before independence in 1804. The books were produced between 1764 and 1804 at presses in Cap-Français, Port-au-Prince, and Les Cayes and were digitized in 2006 with the support of the L’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

Proclamation. In the Name of the Republic. We, Léger-Félicité Sonthonax, Civil Officer of the Republic, Delegate in the Islands of the French West Indies to Re-establish Law and Public Order

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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In August 1791, slaves in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) staged a massive revolt, setting in train the chain of events that ultimately led to the founding of independent Haiti in 1804. In 1792, the de facto government of revolutionary France sent Etienne Polverel and Léger-Félicité Sonthonax as civil commissioners to the colony for the purpose of enforcing a decree by the National Assembly, which enfranchised free blacks and mulattoes but did not yet free the colony’s slaves. Presented here is a broadside with the text of a proclamation issued by Sonthonax on August 21, 1793, concerning the marriage rights between a free man and an enslaved woman, whose master would receive compensation paid by the Republic. Under growing pressure from the revolt and threatened by invading British forces, on August 29, 1793, Sonthonax issued a decree freeing the slaves in the northern part of the colony, for which he was responsible. Polverel followed two weeks later with a proclamation freeing all slaves in the west. The document is from Les imprimés à Saint-Domingue (Imprints from Saint-Domingue), a collection held by the Bibliothèque Haïtienne des Pères du Saint-Esprit that includes approximately 150 texts printed in Saint-Domingue before independence in 1804. The books were produced between 1764 and 1804 at presses in Cap-Français, Port-au-Prince, and Les Cayes and were digitized in 2006 with the support of the L’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

Account of a Conspiracy Organized by the Negroes in the Island of Saint-Domingue

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

≫ Next: B. D. Stewart, Morocco Leather Manufactory. Southeast Corner of Willow Street and Old York Road, Philadelphia

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This short work consists of two letters relating to a planned slave uprising in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) in 1758. The context and importance of the letter are explained in an introductory paragraph by an anonymous editor: “Two letters were delivered to us. One is from Cap-Français, Island of Saint-Domingue, and one from the person to whom this letter was addressed. As this person knows perfectly well per se the current state of this island, we will give his letter first, to serve as an introduction to the next. The content of these letters is too important, in the present circumstances, not to give them to the public. As we shall see, the Negroes are seeking to take control of the country by causing death to the masters, only Jesuits are spared, and the latter openly protect the Negroes, by prohibiting those who are tortured unto death from revealing their perpetrators and accomplices. Does one not declare oneself an accomplice by denying the only way to eradicate this dreadful conspiracy?” The document is from Les imprimés à Saint-Domingue (Imprints from Saint-Domingue), a collection held by the Bibliothèque Haïtienne des Pères du Saint-Esprit that includes approximately 150 texts printed in Saint-Domingue before independence in 1804. The books were produced between 1764 and 1804 at presses in Cap-Français, Port-au-Prince, and Les Cayes and were digitized in 2006 with the support of the L’Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

B. D. Stewart, Morocco Leather Manufactory. Southeast Corner of Willow Street and Old York Road, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This advertising print from 1847 shows the multi-storied manufactory of Benedict D. Stewart, located at Willow Street and Old York Road (i.e., 435-437 York Avenue) in Philadelphia. Signs bearing street names, the name of the proprietor, and the name of the business (“Morocco Leather Manufactory”) adorn the building. Windows on the lower level have shutters, while the upper two floors of windows have slats. To the left of the building, broadsides adorn the small fence that surrounds the courtyard located between the main building and the partially visible rear building of the factory. A man can be seen entering the doorway of the main building, while another gentleman walks on the sidewalk outside the factory. In the right foreground, laborers transport, pile, and load sacks and crates (some marked) onto a horse-drawn dray. Stewart opened his factory at this address in 1839.

West Philadelphia Institute

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This lithograph from 1853 shows a view of the proposed building of the West Philadelphia Institute, a mechanics’ institute. The building was erected in 1853 on Williams (i.e., North 39th) Street, north of Market Street in Philadelphia. Two men are pictured here in a bucolic setting; they walk up a path leading to the small Georgian- and Florentine-style two-story building, which has several windows. The building contained a library, a lecture hall, and classrooms intended to help young men to educate themselves and to avoid vice during their free time. The building was purchased in 1871 by the Board of the Presbyterian Hospital and the institute was relocated to 40th and Ludlow streets. The print was produced by Thomas S. Sinclair (circa 1805–81). Sinclair was born in the Orkney Islands of Scotland and was active in Philadelphia by 1833, where he soon had his own business and was one of the first local printmakers to experiment with color lithography. A practical lithographer throughout his career, Sinclair produced all genres of lithographs, including maps, advertisements, city and landscape views, sheet music covers, portraiture, political cartoons, certificates, and book illustrations.

St. Mark's Church, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

≫ Next: John C. Farr and Company, Importers of Watches, Watchmakers Tools, Silver and Plated Ware, Musical Boxes, Et cetera. Number 112 Chestnut Street between Third and Fourth Streets, Philadelphia

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This lithograph from circa 1850 shows an exterior view of the Gothic-style Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church, located at 1607-1627 Locust Street in Philadelphia. Saint Mark’s Church was built between 1848 and 1851 after the designs of the Scottish-born architect and landscape designer John Notman (1810–65). Below the image is the church seal with a motto reading, “Sigillum Ecclesiae S. Marci Philada. 1848.” Saint Mark’s was founded in 1847 by a group of Philadelphians intent on following the spiritual principles of the Oxford Movement, a current within the Anglican Church that downplayed the Protestant character of the English church and emphasized the continued relevance of the Catholic tradition. Services were conducted using the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, for example, and the rectors of the parish always wore beautifully designed and decorated vestments. Notman’s neo-Gothic style was in keeping with the spiritual aspirations and traditions of the church. The maker of the print, originally part of a scrapbook and heavily damaged in the upper left hand corner, is unknown.

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John C. Farr and Company, Importers of Watches, Watchmakers Tools, Silver and Plated Ware, Musical Boxes, Et cetera. Number 112 Chestnut Street between Third and Fourth Streets, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This advertising print from circa 1850 shows street and pedestrian activity in front of the four-story corner storefront of the jewelry and watch store located at 112 ( i.e., 316) Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. A sign illustrated with a watch and reading, “No. 112 John C. Farr & Co. Wholesale and Retail,” adorns the side of the building. The sign is over a window with a shade that advertises watches, jewelry, and silverware. At the store entrance, a clerk greets two ladies and a girl between the display windows filled with silverware, jewelry, and watches. In front of the store, a lady and gentleman converse near the horses of an out-of-view carriage. At the corner, a man (possibly a store clerk) talks with two ladies who are accompanied by a child and dog. A partial view of the neighboring business (Eugene Roussel, perfumer) can be seen, including signage and the display window of the shop. This print also contains a Gothic-style border and pictorial elements that flank the central image. The pictorial elements are a clock sculpture, a pocket watch, and embellished text reading, “Watches” and “Jewelry.” Text at the bottom reads: “John C. Farr & Co. Importers of watches, watchmakers tools. Silver & plated ware, musical boxes, &c.” Farr started his business in the mid-1820s and changed the firm name to John C. Farr & Company in 1850. The business relocated circa 1854. This lithograph was printed by one of the most prominent lithographers and printers of the day, Peter S. Duval. Duval was born circa 1804 or 1805 in France. He emigrated from France to Philadelphia in the fall of 1831 to accept a job as a lithographer with the printing firm of Childs & Inman. By 1837 he had established his lithographic printing shop; he remained in business until his retirement in 1869.

Philadelphia Cemetery on the Passyunk Road

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This lithograph from circa 1850 shows a view of the chapel at Philadelphia Cemetery (also referred to as New Philadelphia Cemetery), fronting on Passyunk Avenue between Twentieth and Twenty-second Streets. Pedestrians linger outside of the stone wall and carriage gate. Philadelphia Cemetery opened in 1828; the last burial there occurred in 1902. The bodies were removed to Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill circa 1915. The print was produced by Thomas S. Sinclair (circa 1805–81). Sinclair was born in the Orkney Islands of Scotland and was active in Philadelphia by 1833, where he soon had his own business and was one of the first local printmakers to experiment with color lithography. A practical lithographer throughout his career, Sinclair produced all genres of lithographs, including maps, advertisements, city and landscape views, sheet music covers, portraiture, political cartoons, certificates, and book illustrations.

Two of the Killers

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This lithograph from 1848 shows two outlandishly dressed members of the Philadelphia gang known as the “Killers.” One man sits on a fire hydrant and the other leans against a lamp pole (posted with a “Sale” notice) on a street tenanted by a grocery and adorned with broadsides. The men wear patterned pants, jackets with tails, oversized neck ties, and top hats. One also wears a pin reading “K.” They each have their hands in their pockets and are smoking cigarettes. The grocery displays a barrel of brooms in addition to signs reading “Coffee Sugar Tea” and “Teas Coffee 5.” A broadside on the opposite building reads, “Auction this Evening.” A playbill, illustrated with a scene of an equestrian trick, advertises, “Circus: The Old Man of the Mountain . . . Dan Rice, Clown.” The Killers, organized circa 1846, were a band of young men who menaced the Moyamensing neighborhood and were associated with the Moyamensing Hose Company and the Democratic Keystone Club. This print was produced by John J. Childs (circa 1819–80), an artist and lithographer who was a prolific publisher of lithographic cartoons, genre scenes, and social satires in the mid-19th century. Born in England, Childs resided in New York and Boston before relocating to Philadelphia in 1847. From 1848 to 1852 he worked from the lithographic establishment of Frederick Kuhl (born circa 1812). By 1855, Childs had established his own firm, where he produced predominately cartoon prints.

John Baird, Steam Marble Works. Ridge Road Northwest of Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This tinted lithograph from circa 1848 is an advertisement showing an exterior view of the Ridge Road entrance to the “Spring Garden Marble Mantle Manufactory” and “Steam Marble Works” in Philadelphia owned by John Baird. The factory was erected in 1846, and included a central courtyard, offices, and an adjoining yard, marked here with a sign reading, “Garden Statuary, Vases, Ornamental Sculpture, &c.” A variety of fountains, vases, and statues are displayed on the platform roof covering the yard. Outside the fence enclosing the adjoining yard gravestones are displayed. On the roof of the central courtyard, a clerk shows patrons a selection of monuments. Behind them, a cupola adorns a rear building of the factory. On the sidewalk in front of the factory workers move large slabs of marble using a lever and a dolly, couples promenade on the sidewalk, a horse is hitched, dogs greet each other in the street, and a couple rides on horseback. The woman on horseback rides side-saddle. Factory employees are visible in the courtyard and in office windows. Through an open entryway, a person can be seen climbing a flight of stairs. Baird established his business in 1841, and gained a reputation as a pioneer in the modern operation of marble works. The printing firm was Wagner & McGuigan, one of the premier and most prolific lithographic establishments of the mid-19th century, which specialized in the production of advertising prints.

Marshall House, 207 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

≫ Next: Funeral Car Used at the Obsequies of President Lincoln, in Philadelphia, April 22nd, 1865. Designed and Built by E.S. Earley, Undertaker, Southeast Corner of Tenth and Green Streets, Philadelphia

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This lithograph from 1837 is an advertising print showing the front facade of the hotel called the Marshall House, located at 207 Chestnut Street (i.e., 625-631 Chestnut Street) in Philadelphia. In the stark illustration, a couple can be seen walking toward the hotel entrance. Edmund Badger, a former proprietor of The City Hotel, operated the Marshall House at 207 Chestnut Street from 1837 to 1841. The hotel was later renamed the Columbia House; it was razed in 1856. The artist, lithographer, and publisher of the print have not been identified.

Funeral Car Used at the Obsequies of President Lincoln, in Philadelphia, April 22nd, 1865. Designed and Built by E.S. Earley, Undertaker, Southeast Corner of Tenth and Green Streets, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This tinted and hand-colored lithograph from 1865 depicts the procession of the catafalque transporting the flower-covered casket of President Abraham Lincoln to Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Funeral officials, dressed in black and wearing top hats, attend the open-air funeral car. The car, which is drawn by eight horses, has a canopy and is draped in black cloth. Mourners, including an African American man and woman, line the street. The artist, Charles P. Tholey (1832–95), was born in Germany and immigrated to Philadelphia with his father and brother circa 1848. They worked as lithographers, engravers, and pastel portraitists in Philadelphia in the mid-19th century. Tholey delineated lithographs and depicted cityscape views, landscapes, and historical scenes. The lithograph was printed by Jacob Haehnlen (1824–92), a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Haehnlen, who was of German ancestry, relocated to Philadelphia in 1841. He opened a "lithographic & fancy printing establishment" circa 1859, which he operated for more than a decade.

View of the Reception of the 29th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, at Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This chromolithograph from 1863 shows an innovatively designed view of the procession of the Pennsylvania Volunteer regiment, honoring the heroic service of that regiment with the Army of the Potomac in the American Civil War. The procession, which took place on December 23, 1863, is depicted here as serpentine, with the order of procession arranged from top to bottom. At the top of the image is a large eagle holding an American shield. Behind the wings of the eagle are patriotic flags by the “Ladies for the 29th,” flanked by banners reading “Welcome Home.” Soldiers on horseback lead the procession, followed by infantrymen transported in horse-drawn wagons (one wagon also pulls a cannon), and a small brass military band. After the musicians, the 29th Regiment marches on foot, with some men carrying flags. Intermixed with the marching soldiers are additional military bands and officers on horseback. Horse-drawn volunteer fire company ambulances carrying soldiers follow the troops, including the vehicles of Northern Liberty Fire Company, Number 1; Vigilant Fire Company; Assistance Fire Company, Weccacoe; Southwark Hose Company; and Hope Hose Company. Along the route men, women, and children watch and join the procession, shake the hands of the soldiers, and cheer. Two boys involved in a scuffle are among the spectators. Buildings line the route, most shown in shadowy, partial views except for the Cooper Shop Soldiers Home (opened in December 1863) and adjacent buildings, located at Race and Crown streets and seen near the top of the image. Women crowd the windows of the home and a large American flag marked “Cooper Shop Soldiers Home” stands in front of the building. Flanking the image are the names of the “Veterans of the 29th,” listing the field and staff officers, the non-commissioned officers, and each company, including the African American Company K. Below the image are the names of the “Board of Managers of the Cooper Shop Soldiers’ Home.” The procession commenced at about one o'clock from Market Street Bridge down Market Street to Twenty-First Street, eventually arriving at the Cooper Shop Soldiers Home, where the members of the 29th regiment had dinner before proceeding to the National Guards Hall (518-520 Race Street) to be welcomed by Colonel John Price Wetherill. The order of the procession was as follows: the First City Troop; 27th New York Battery; Liberty Coronet Band; Henry Guards; four companies of invalids corps; Provost Guard; discharged members of the regiment; Birgfield's Band; former (Murphy) and present (Rickards) commander of the regiment; Lieutenant Colonel Zulick of the regiment; the regiment; female family members; First Regiment; Jefferson Coronet Band; Pennsylvania Military Institute cadets; City Council members; other guards and regiments; and lastly, the ambulances of the firemen. The veterans of the 29th Regiment home on furlough reenlisted for additional service, which was announced at the procession. This chromolithograph was published by Charles Baum, for the benefit of the Cooper Shop Soldiers Home. Born in Germany circa 1824, Baum was a resident of Philadelphia from the 1840s and was an artist and publisher of lithographs during the Civil War.

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Stand Pipe for West Philadelphia Water Works

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This lithograph from circa 1853 shows the proposed design for a standpipe with an ornate spiral staircase, topped by a statue of George Washington. The standpipe was to be erected at Thirty-Fifth and Sycamore streets as part of the Twenty-Fourth Ward Water Works (i.e., West Philadelphia Water Works). On the ground, individuals are shown gazing up at the structure from its base. Other men and women ascend the staircase and view the vista from the observation deck of the standpipe. Completed circa 1855 (without the statue) after the designs of engineers Birkinbine & Trotter, the standpipe served as a reservoir for the waterworks located on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, north of the Fairmount Dam. It was removed in 1870. A note on recto of this print notes a height of 130 feet and a diameter of five inches, and states it should be “made of B[illegible] iron.” The maker of the print is listed as the firm of Rease & Schell, a partnership formed in the 1850s by William H. Rease and Francis H. Schell. Born in Pennsylvania circa 1818, Rease was a prominent mid-19th century Philadelphia trade card lithographer. He was known to highlight details of human interest in his advertisements. Schell was born in Philadelphia in 1834 and is best known for his work during the Civil War as an illustrator for Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper. The printer was Thomas S. Sinclair (circa 1805–81). Sinclair was born in the Orkney Islands of Scotland and was active in Philadelphia by 1833, where he soon had his own business and was one of the first local printmakers to experiment with color lithography. A practical lithographer throughout his career, Sinclair produced all genres of lithographs, including maps, advertisements, city and landscape views, sheet music covers, portraiture, political cartoons, certificates, and book illustrations.

View of the United States Hose House and Apparatus, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This tinted lithograph from circa 1851 is a keepsake print showing the firehouse on Tamany (i.e., Buttonwood) Street, just south of York Avenue in Philadelphia. Members of the volunteer hose company are seen racing the hose carriage around the corner. Firefighters, most wearing gear, pull the carriage, run from behind the vehicle, and don their uniforms in the entry to the firehouse. The firehouse contains an iron-work veranda and a tower from which a volunteer stands and points, directing the company. Adjacent to the station house and on the corner stands “Tamany Hall,” an oyster house adorned in signage, including street signs and the name of proprietor, “Jas. Griffiths.” The proprietor stands at his doorway, a server watches from outside, and a patron rushes out a rear entry. The grocery store of “Tunis O. Bancroft” is at the opposite corner. A female clerk stands in the doorway. Merchandise displays, including brooms and buckets, line the storefront. The store owner, attired in an apron and a top hat, stands in front of the store under an awning, watching the commotion. Another hose carriage, ornately decorated, is parked nearby in the street. A small toolbox, bucket, and sponge lie in the street next to the apparatus. The scene also includes the neighboring residential buildings on the block and around the corner. The United States Hose Company was instituted on July 4, 1826, and incorporated on March 13, 1833. In November 1851, Baltimore held a celebration for firemen in cooperation with Washington D.C. that was attended by the United States Hose Company. The United States Hose Company reciprocated by hosting the Independent Fire Company of Baltimore during the 1852 celebration and parade held in Philadelphia. This print contains an inscription at the bottom reading: “View of the United States Hose House & Apparatus, Philadelphia. To the Independent Fire Co. of Baltimore & the Franklin Fire Co. of Washington, this print is respectfully dedicated, (as a slight token of appreciation of their generous hospitality) by the United States Hose Co. of Philadelphia.” Although the artist of this work is unknown, it is possibly the work of James Fuller Queen (circa 1820–86), a Philadelphia lithographer and pioneer chromolithographer known for his attention to detail.  Queen was a volunteer firefighter who made prints of other fire companies.

P.S. Duval's Lithographic Establishment and Office of the U.S. Military Magazine, Published by Huddy and Duval. Number 7, Bank Alley, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This lithograph from 1839 depicts the four-story lithographic establishment of Peter S. Duval, one of the most prominent lithographers and printers of his day. The establishment, located at the northwest corner of Bank Alley and Dock Street (i.e., 227 Dock Street) in Philadelphia, was also the headquarters for Huddy & Duval, the firm that published the military fashion periodical, U.S. Military Magazine, between 1839 and 1842. In this view, a row of cavalry soldiers faces east on Dock Street as pedestrians, soldiers on foot, and a dog congregate on the sidewalks in the foreground. A signboard for a house painter adorns the adjacent property facing Dock Street and “Birch's Auctions” occupies the property at the west end of Bank Alley facing Third Street. The portico and columns of a stately building, probably part of the Merchant's Exchange, are visible across from the Duval establishment. The Dock Street building was demolished in 1924. This illustration was printed on the upper portion of a sheet of stationery paper and subsequently pasted onto the front flyleaf of a volume of the magazine. Below the illustration is a hand-written form letter signed by William M. Huddy and P.S. Duval, outlining the prices of “coloured” and “plain” plates. Born circa 1804 or 1805 in France, Duval emigrated from France to Philadelphia in the fall of 1831 to accept a job as a lithographer with the printing firm of Childs & Inman. By 1837 he had established his lithographic printing shop; he remained in business until his retirement in 1869. Huddy, born in Philadelphia in 1807, was a military artist, lithographer, publisher, and editor active in Philadelphia in the late 1830s and early 1840s. The two men were partners in Huddy & Duval until 1842, when the magazine and partnership ceased operations.

United States Bank, Philadelphia

December 29, 2015, 6:25 am

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This lithograph from 1835 shows a view of the United States Bank (also called the Second Bank of the United States because it was the second federally authorized national bank), located at 420 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. The functions of the bank included regulation of the currency and handling fiscal transactions for the U.S. government. The bank was constructed between 1818 and 1824 after the designs of Philadelphia architect William Strickland (1787–1854) and was one of the first Greek Revival buildings in the country, apparently modeled on the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Seen here are a couple and a man strolling on the sidewalk, and two ladies conversing with a gentleman at the open gate leading to the alley west of the bank. A partial view of an adjacent building also can be seen. The building served as the Bank of the United States (i.e., Second Bank) until 1836, when the charter for the bank was not renewed. After alterations by Strickland, the building served as the U.S. Custom House between 1844 and 1935.

F. Leaming and Company. Hardware, Nail, Steel, Hollow-Ware and Looking Glass Store. Number 215 Market Street

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This crudely-printed advertising print is from Philadelphia, circa 1831. It shows the four-story storefront located at 215 Market Street (i.e., the 500 block of Market Street). The building housed F. Leaming & Company, which sold “hardware, nail, steel, hollow-ware & looking glass.” A patron approaches the glass-paned door of the business and a couple strolls past on the sidewalk. The cellar doors of the building are partially visible. Leaming operated at this location from 1831 to 1833. The lithograph was published by Childs & Inman, a partnership between Philadelphia engraver and lithographer Cephas G. Childs and New York portrait painter Henry Inman, which was one of the earliest important lithographic firms in Philadelphia. The partnership was active between 1830 and 1833.