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An exceptional large early view of Cincinnati and envions, "printed in tints by F. Michelin & Geo. E. Leefe" and published by Smith Brothers & Co. in New York, from a painting by John William Hill.
A beautiful and quite scarce view of the "Queen City". "The tall spire in the center of Hill's elevated panorama is Saint Peters Roman Catholic Cathedral, erected from 1839-1845, In the center foreground is the Cincinnati Astronomical Observatory, erected in 1843-1844 and taken down in 1872-1873. The tall spire in the left center is that of the First Presbyterian Church, dedicated in 1851. The round dome behind it is the Burnet House... said to be the best hotel in the world... In the extreme left background, on the far side of the Ohio River, is Newport, Kentucky. To the right of it, across the Licking River, is Covington and Newport.
The fabulous Smith Brothers. "During an eight-year period beginning in 1848, the four Smith brothers issued a remarkably fine series of large folio city views. A few of these were engraved, but about forty others were lithographed by highly skilled printers in Boston and New York." John Reps. The prints that they produced as a rule were large, imposing, detailed, accurate and quite beautiful.
The view is based on a watercolor by John William Hill (1812-1879). He was the son of the artist John Hill and father of the artist John Henry Hill. He was a British born artist who specialized in landscapes, cityscapes and well as ornithological and zoological subjects. He produced many views of American cities for the Smith Brothers and others. He was also a member of the National Academy of design.
Rarity
While Reps lists 5 institutional examples, the view is extremely rare on the market.
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