Hancock House, Boston, Massachusetts, Bladensburgh 1814 Vignette, circa 1850
€ 195
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1850
Mapmaker / artist
Not named on the sheet
Publisher
J. and F. Tallis, London
Technique
Steel Engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13999-48
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
Complete sheet, minor nicks along the top edge. Light, uneven toning, soiled along all four edges. Foxing and several larger brown spots across much of the margin.
About this sheet
This original antique steel engraving, uncolored, is lettered "HANCOCK HOUSE, BOSTON." It shows a large stone mansion of two main stories with a hipped roof, three dormers, a balustrade along the ridge and tall chimneys. A balcony on brackets projects over the central doorway, which is reached by steps with scrolled iron railings. The house stands behind a low wall with a wooden fence, a gate with brick piers at the left and a lattice screen at the right. On the paved street in front a woman pushes a wheelbarrow, a family of three walks, and a man carries a basket on his shoulder.
Above the view a small uncaptioned emblem shows an eagle with spread wings perched on a rock. The border of knotted ropes holds two vignettes. At the lower left soldiers in shakos fight hand to hand around a wounded officer, with a fallen man and a cannonball in the foreground, lettered "ACTION AT BLADENSBURGH. 1814." At the lower right a mounted officer reviews a line of marching infantry before a building with a classical portico; its caption reads "A REVIEW". No artist or engraver is credited under the view. The imprint at the foot reads "J. & F. TALLIS, LONDON, & NEW YORK."
The sheet belongs to History of the United States of America, edited by the English Baptist minister and author John Howard Hinton (1791 to 1873) and published by J. and F. Tallis about 1850. The Tallis firm were London publishers of illustrated works sold in parts around the middle of the nineteenth century; in this edition every plate sets its steel engraved view within an ornamental border holding lettered vignettes of American history. The Battle of Bladensburg was fought in Maryland in August 1814.
A handsome architectural subject for anyone with a link to Boston.
This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
