The President's House, Washington, Constitution Emblem, circa 1850

This is an original antique steel engraving, uncolored, lettered below the view "THE PRESIDENT'S HOUSE, WASHINGTON." The house is seen at an angle across its grounds: a long classical front with tall pilasters and a balustraded roofline with many chimneys, a curved, columned portico reached by a curving flight of steps, and a low colonnaded wing running off to the left. A wooden fence encloses the lawn with its flower beds. A gardener works with a hoe in the right foreground, a man with a dog stands at the left, two men walk in the middle ground, and at the right a man drives a flock of sheep across a field, with a row of plain buildings and smoking chimneys beyond.

The uncaptioned emblem above the view is a trophy of oak and laurel branches, a sword, a quill and draped cloth around a document headed "CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES". Below at left, a vignette lettered "WASHINGTON ON HIS WAY TO THE CAPITOL AS PRESIDENT. 1788." shows Washington standing in a carriage amid a cheering crowd waving hats and flags. At right, "THE MARSHAL, AND GENERAL NEVILLE FIRED UPON BY THE MOB. 1794." shows two riders galloping away from a line of armed men, a dog running beside them. No artist or engraver credit is lettered under the view. The number 20 is engraved at the top right of the frame. 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 Washington or presidential views.

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