Harpers Ferry, Junction of the Shenandoah and Potomac, Pocahontas, 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-13999-18
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; the bottom edge is folded over in a narrow strip along its length, with a few small nicks and a small chip near the left; the other edges straight. Light, uneven toning, soiled along the left, right and top edges. Scattered light foxing in the margin.
About this sheet
This is an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, lettered below the view "HARPERS FERRY." with the line "JUNCTION OF THE RIVERS SHENANDOAH & POTOMAC." in italic capitals beneath. The view looks along a broad, still river between steep wooded cliffs. At left a broken dead tree stands on a rocky slope where a small figure sits; at right tall trees overhang the bank and a dead stump rises from the shore. In the distance, low hills with a few white buildings at the water's edge close the view, and two small sailing boats sit on the river under a pale sky.
The uncaptioned emblem above the view shows a Native American man crouching in tall grass and reeds, a long gun beside him. Below at left, "POCAHONTAS INTERCEDING FOR THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN SMITH. 1606." shows a warrior raising a club over a prone man while a young woman kneels to shield him, watched by a group of Native Americans. At right, "MASSACRE OF THE SETTLERS BY THE INDIANS. 1622." shows an attack on colonists before a log house, with fallen settlers and others firing muskets at right. The dates are as engraved. No artist or engraver credit is lettered under the view. The imprint at the foot reads "J & F. TALLIS, LONDON, EDINBURGH & DUBLIN."
The plate belongs to the History of the United States of America, edited by John Howard Hinton (1791 to 1873), the English Baptist minister and author, and published by J. and F. Tallis about 1850. J. and F. Tallis were London publishers of illustrated works sold in parts around the middle of the nineteenth century, and the plates of this edition set a central steel engraved view inside an engraved ornamental border with small lettered vignettes of episodes from American history. The right vignette refers to the attack on the English settlements in Virginia by the Powhatan peoples in 1622.
A calm river landscape suited to a collection of Virginia or Potomac views.
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.
