Race Bridge and Fairmount Water Works, Philadelphia, Brandywine, circa 1850

This is an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, lettered below the view "THE RACE BRIDGE FAIR MOUNT WATER WORKS, PHILADELPHIA." A low stone bridge of three arches with a lattice railing crosses the water from side to side, with people strolling along it. At the left a steep wooded hill rises to a round summerhouse, with a stair climbing the slope and visitors on the path. Behind the bridge stand a large house with tall chimneys and, at the right, a pedimented building. In the water a man poles a small boat and two bathers swim under the right arch, while on the grassy bank in the left foreground a standing woman is joined by two young women in bonnets seated beside her.

The uncaptioned emblem above the view shows a man in a broad hat and long coat clasping hands with a Native American man wrapped in a patterned blanket, a second Native American man beside them. Below at left, a vignette lettered "COVERING THE RETREAT FROM BRANDYWINE. 1777." shows a mounted officer and soldiers firing in a smoky skirmish, with fallen men on the ground. At right, "REVOLT OF THE PENNSYLVANIAN LINE. 1780." shows a crowd of armed soldiers pressing around an officer on a rearing horse. No artist or engraver credit is lettered under the view. The imprint at the foot reads "J. & F. TALLIS, LONDON, EDINBURGH, & DUBLIN." The title spells Fairmount as two words, "FAIR MOUNT", as engraved.

The plate belongs to the 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, and 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.

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