Rare Image of A Canadian Icon
Rare image of the Great Bell of Montreal, lithographed in London by J. Grieve.
The bell was cast at Whitechapel Foundry, Britain's oldest manufacturing company, having been established in 1570 (during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I). Whitechapel's famous bells include the original Liberty Bell (1752), the Great Bell of Montreal and Big Ben at the Palace of Westminster.
Rarity
The image is virtually unknown, although it is listed at page 298 of Landmarks of Canada: What Art Has Done for Canadian History; a Guide to the J. Ross Robertson Historical Collection in the Public Reference Library, Toronto, Canada.
Landmarks of Canada dates the image 1871, but John Grieve was only active between about 1843 and 1850 at Nicholas Lane.