Views of America · 19th century
€ 140
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
overall. Uniform toning with a few faint foxing marks in the margins. Edges show mild signs of wear from binding. Strong impressions and stable paper on both sheets.
Rideau Canal Locks and Haliburton’s Residence – Pair of 19th Century Canadian Views
This attractive pair of antique steel engravings presents two contrasting scenes from 19th-century Canada: one of engineering ingenuity and one of colonial domestic life. Both images were engraved by Lemaitre and published around 1850 as part of a French visual survey of notable Canadian places.
The first engraving, titled “Vannes sur le Canal Rideau près Bytown,” shows the locks on the Rideau Canal near Bytown (modern-day Ottawa). The scene captures a steam-powered paddle boat entering the narrow, stone-walled locks, with the stepped canal system stretching uphill in the background. Forested cliffs rise on both sides, and a classical pavilion-like building sits near the water’s edge, possibly a lockmaster’s house or administrative structure. Built between 1826 and 1832, the Rideau Canal is one of the oldest continuously operated canal systems in North America, and this image is an early visual tribute to that engineering achievement. The canal was originally designed for military use, providing a secure route between Montreal and Kingston in case of conflict with the United States, but quickly became vital for trade and travel.
The second engraving, “Habitation du Juge Haliburton,” depicts the home of Judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton, a Nova Scotian jurist and author best known for his “Sam Slick” stories, which earned him a reputation as one of Canada’s first internationally recognized humorists. The house is modest and neoclassical in style, with a columned entryway and a low, symmetrical profile. It is surrounded by dense trees and garden shrubbery, and two small figures—possibly children—stand in front, adding a sense of human scale. The image reflects the genteel lifestyle of a prominent colonial figure.
Both prints are finely executed in steel engraving, a technique ideal for rendering architectural and natural details with clarity and depth. The textures of stone, wood, and foliage are crisply defined, and each composition tells a quiet but compelling story of Canadian life in the mid-19th century.
Condition: Good overall. Uniform toning with a few faint foxing marks in the margins. Edges show mild signs of wear from binding. Strong impressions and stable paper on both sheets.
Framing tips: These two prints would be ideal framed as a pair. Use matching walnut or dark maple frames with warm off-white mats. Consider a double mat with an inner accent in green or charcoal to draw out the natural tones of the landscape scenes.
Technique: Steel engraving
Maker: Lemaitre, France, c. 1850
