City of Boston, Harbor View from South Boston – Antique Maritime Engraving, 1870

Maritime · 19th century

City of Boston, Harbor View from South Boston – Antique Maritime Engraving, 1870

€ 290

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1870
Sheet size: 23.3 × 31.6 cm (9.2 × 12.4 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-14129-20

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Good antique condition. Light age toning and scattered foxing, primarily in the margins. The engraved image remains clear and well-defined. A visible plate mark is present. No major tears or losses observed.

About this sheet

Boston Harbor from South Boston, an original steel engraving published in London by Cassell and Company, Limited. The plate title "City of Boston" is lettered in script, with "(From South Boston)" beneath it.

The view looks across the harbor from a wharf in the foreground, where two men sit at the edge of the quay and several schooners lie moored with rigging and sails furled. Rowboats pull across the calm water in the left foreground, with men tending a net or bundle of goods. A large square-rigged ship and other sailing vessels ride at anchor beyond, and a steamer sends up smoke at the right. On the far shore the city shows as a low skyline with a domed building and church spires, under a clouded sky.

The plate is one of a series of American city views issued by Cassell for an English readership in the second half of the 19th century. It shows the working harbor of the period, with sail still common beside the first steam vessels.