Carrick-a-Rede, County Antrim, Antique View of the Rope Bridge Coast, circa 1850

Carrick-a-Rede on the coast of County Antrim, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption below the image reads CARRICK-A-REDE.

A rocky islet rises from a churning sea at the center of the plate, joined to the cliffs at the left by a slender rope bridge with a figure crossing it. A small cottage stands on the rocks of the islet, a few sheep graze on its top, and two figures stand on its far crest. Seabirds wheel over the surf in the foreground and a large flock flies across the sky at the upper left. To the right two sailing boats and a small rowing boat are out on the open water, and a distant coast with plumes of smoke runs along the horizon.

No artist or engraver is named on the plate. The imprint at lower left reads Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Instit. in Hildbh. (from the art works of the Bibliographisches Institut in Hildburghausen), and at lower right Eigenthum d. Verleger (property of the publishers).

The sheet comes from a dealer's album rather than from a bound set. Meyer's Universum was a serial collection of engraved views with descriptive text, published by Joseph Meyer's Bibliographisches Institut at Hildburghausen from 1833, its plates engraved on steel. The rope bridge at Carrick-a-Rede was put up by salmon fishermen to reach the islet, from which they worked their nets.

Handling soiling along the bottom, right and top edges. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Corners and edges are not shown by this scan. Clean, even paper tone in the margin. One larger brown mark.

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