House of Representatives Interior, Washington, Drawn by W. Goodacre, circa 1850

This is an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, lettered below the view "INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, WASHINGTON." The view shows a semicircular chamber under a coffered half dome with a round skylight at its crown. Tall Corinthian columns, hung with looped drapery between them, ring the room above curved rows of desks. At right a statue of a standing female figure with an eagle fills an arched niche above the cornice, and below it stands a raised chair under a domed canopy.

Above the view, the emblem vignette shows an eagle over a laurel wreath, with crossed flags, swords and bundled rods, above an arched panel lettered "WASHINGTON". At the sides of the border sit two small allegorical figures: at left a blindfolded woman holding scales and a staff, at right a seated woman holding a staff topped by a cap. Two scenes are set into the lower corners: at left a crowd before a building, captioned "WASHINGTON PROCLAIMED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, IN FRONT OF THE FEDERAL HALL, NEW YORK."; at right a party descending steps under flags, captioned "THE EMBARKATION AT ELIZABETHTOWN POINT, NEW JERSEY." The script credit under the lower left corner of the view reads "Drawn by W. Goodacre Junr N.Y." (the r raised). The imprint reads "J. & F. TALLIS, LONDON & NEW YORK."

The plate comes from 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. J. and F. Tallis were London publishers of illustrated works sold in parts around the middle of the nineteenth century. The plates of this edition set a central steel engraved view inside an engraved ornamental border with small lettered vignettes of episodes from American history, as here. George Washington took the oath as first President of the United States at Federal Hall in New York in 1789.

The dense architectural detail rewards close viewing.

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