Source of the Passaic Falls, New Jersey, Valley Forge Vignette, circa 1850
€ 175
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-13999-42
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
Light handling wear to the top left and top right corners; edges straight and without nicks. Even age toning, lightly soiled along the right and top edges. Scattered light foxing and one larger brown spot in the margin. The lower margin is trimmed close below the imprint, with slight waviness along the bottom edge.
About this sheet
This original antique steel engraving, uncolored, is lettered "SOURCE OF THE PASSAIC FALLS." It shows a rocky gorge framed by two steep, layered cliffs, the left one pale and stepped, the right one dark and hung with vines. Between them lies a still pool with a pebbled edge, and beyond it the far bank rises as a sheer rock wall topped by woods and a small house. Tall pines stand on the level ground in the middle distance, where a man and a woman stand together and a man carrying a basket walks at the water's edge; in the foreground two men, one seated and one standing with a fishing rod, rest beside the water among ferns, broad leaves and flat stones.
Above the view a small uncaptioned emblem shows water spilling over a rocky ledge between bushes. The scrolling foliage border holds two lettered vignettes. At the lower left an officer on a rearing horse leads a line of soldiers under a flag, with a fallen man in the foreground, lettered "BATTLE NEAR PRINCETON 1777." At the lower right soldiers carry bundles of firewood among snow covered huts while sentries stand by, lettered "AMERICAN TROOPS WINTERING AT VALLEY FORGE." There is no artist or engraver credit under the view. The imprint at the foot reads "J. & F. TALLIS, LONDON & NEW YORK."
It comes from Hinton's History of the United States of America, published by J. and F. Tallis about 1850. John Howard Hinton (1791 to 1873) was an English Baptist minister and author, and J. and F. Tallis were London publishers of illustrated works sold in parts around the middle of the nineteenth century. The Battle of Princeton was fought in New Jersey in January 1777, and Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the winter encampment of the Continental Army in 1777 to 1778.
A quiet landscape, suited to a study or hallway.
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.
