The Admiralty, the War Office and the Treasury, London, 1804

About this sheet

This is an original antique copper engraving, uncolored, lettered "The Admiralty, the War Office, & the Treasury." The view looks across a wide parade ground to a long line of government buildings. At the center stands a pedimented building with a domed clock turret, flanked by lower wings, and to the right a tall classical house; at the left a range of buildings carries a telegraph frame on its roof, with a church spire beyond. Lines of soldiers are drawn up across the ground, and strolling couples, officers, children and dogs fill the foreground under a sky of heavy clouds.

The title is engraved in script below the image. The artist's credit "Pugh delin." is at lower left and the engraver's credit "Pass sculp." at lower right. Beneath the title is the imprint "Published Augt 11-1804, by Richard Phillips, 71 St Paul's Church Yard."

The plate comes from Modern London; Being the History and Present State of the British Metropolis, printed for Richard Phillips, No. 71, St. Paul's Church-Yard, by C. Mercier and Co., Northumberland-court, Strand, in 1804, and "illustrated with numerous copper plates." Many of its topographical views were drawn by Edward Pugh, a Welsh painter working in London, and engraved on copper by several London engravers, each of whom signed his own plate. The plate shows the offices of government grouped around the open ground on the park side of Whitehall, used for military parades.

Of interest to collectors of military and government history as well as of London views.

Condition: Age toning; handling soiling along the edges and foxing with some brown staining in the margins. Printed image clean.

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.