Annual Meeting of the Charity Children in St Paul's Cathedral, 1804

This is an original antique copper engraving, uncolored, in upright format, lettered "The annual meeting of the Charity Children in St Paul's Cathedral." The view looks along the cathedral from under the dome of St Paul's. Steep banks of seating rise on either side of the crossing, packed with rows of children, and a dense congregation fills the floor in front. Above, the painted dome and its ring of windows rise over the arches, banners hang from the galleries, and the organ is visible through the central arch.

The two lines of the title are engraved in script below the image. The artist's credit "E: Pugh D." is at lower left and the engraver's credit "J: Fittler. Sc:" 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 annual service for the children of the London charity schools was held in St Paul's from 1782, with thousands of children seated on tiered stands under the dome.

A striking upright image of a great London occasion, well suited to a stairway or narrow wall.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.