Masonic Hall, Broadway, New York, Drawn by A. J. Davis, circa 1850

About this sheet

This is an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, lettered below the view "MASONIC HALL, BROADWAY, N.Y." The upright view shows the tall stone front of a Gothic building on a city street. Two slender pinnacles flank a battlemented gable with a round rose window; below are pointed windows with tracery, a large central window, and a balustrade above a row of pointed arches with a richly carved central doorway. Modest wooden houses stand on either side, and small figures walk along the sidewalk in front.

The emblem above the view is an oval with a sun rising over mountains, supported by a blindfolded figure of Justice with sword and scales at left and a figure holding a staff with a cap at right, an eagle on top and the motto "Excelsior" on a scroll below. Below at left, "DONGAN'S TREATY WITH THE FIVE NATIONS, 1684." shows colonial officials in broad hats meeting Native American leaders in feathered headdresses. At right, "SLAUGHTER AT ACHENECTADY, 1690." shows soldiers firing muskets toward fleeing townspeople before smoking buildings. The credit "Drawn by A.J.Davis.N.Y." is lettered under the lower left corner of 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 view was drawn by Alexander Jackson Davis (1803 to 1892), the New York architect and artist. The vignettes refer to Governor Thomas Dongan's treaty with the Five Nations of the Iroquois in 1684 and to the French and allied attack on Schenectady in 1690.

A strong piece for a New York or architecture collection.

Condition: Complete sheet; two small holes in the left margin well away from the image, the edges otherwise straight and without nicks. Light, uneven toning, soiled along the bottom and top edges. Foxing and several larger brown spots across much of the margin.

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.