Chelsea Hospital, London, Antique Steel Engraving with Promenaders, circa 1850

The Royal Hospital at Chelsea, an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, circa 1850. The caption below the image reads CHELSEA-HOSPITAL bei London, that is, Chelsea Hospital near London.

The hospital stands across a wide lawn, its central portico of columns under a pediment crowned by a cupola and weather vane, with long ranges of windows, dormers and tall chimneys running off to the right and a further block with a pedimented center at the far right. Two tall trees rise at the left edge. In the foreground a crowd of promenaders, women in bonnets and wide skirts, men in top hats and a child, stands behind an iron railing that runs diagonally across the plate, and figures walk on the lawn beyond, where a man works with a scythe.

The plate is lettered at lower left, just below the image, "C. Reiss del.t" (drawn by C. Reiss). The imprint at lower left reads Aus d. Kunstanst. d. Bibliogr. Inst. in Hildbh. (from the art works of the Bibliographisches Institut in Hildburghausen), and at lower right Eigenthum d. Verleger (property of the publishers). The plate number CCCCIX is engraved at the top right.

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 Royal Hospital Chelsea was founded by Charles II in 1682 for old and disabled soldiers, to designs by Sir Christopher Wren.

Handling soiling along the top edge. A few small foxing spots in the margin. Corners and edges are not shown by this scan. Clean, even paper tone in the margin.

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