Capitol of Virginia, Richmond, Temple Front View, circa 1850

This is an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, lettered below the view "CAPITOL OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND." The capitol stands alone on open ground, seen at an angle: a long rectangular building with a pedimented temple front of tall Corinthian columns at the right and a side wall of pilasters and two tiers of windows. A double stair rises against the near end at the left, beside a low domed outbuilding. A couple walks on the ground before the portico, and a figure stands between the columns, under a sky of light clouds.

The uncaptioned emblem above the view is a still life of fruit: a melon, grapes and vine leaves. The border is a trailing grapevine. In the left border, a vignette lettered "THE SLAVE." shows an enslaved man stooping to harvest a crop into a basket, with a man in a broad hat holding a whip standing behind him. In the right border, "THE PLANTER." shows a man in a wide straw hat leaning on a gun, two dogs at his feet and a palm behind him. No artist or engraver credit is lettered under the view. The imprint at the foot reads "J. & F. TALLIS, LONDON, EDINBURGH, & DUBLIN".

It was issued in Hinton's 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. The Tallis firm, London publishers of illustrated works sold in parts around the middle of the nineteenth century, set each central steel engraved view of this edition inside an engraved ornamental border carrying small lettered vignettes of episodes from American history.

A good choice for a collection of Virginia views or of American public buildings.

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