1870 View of Proposed Brooklyn Bridge and New York City
By Theodore R. Davis
Located in Alamo, CA
This framed engraving entitled "Birds-eye View of the Southern End of New York and Brooklyn, Showing the Projected Suspension-Bridge Over the East River, From the Western Terminus in Printing-House Square, New York" by Theodore R. Davis (1840–1894) was published as a supplement of Harper's Weekly, November 19, 1870. The print is presented in a maple frame and a double mat. The frame measures 23.5" high, 29" wide and 0.75" deep. There is a vertical center fold and additional vertical lines, where wood engraving blocks were joined for the printing process. It is in excellent condition. This framed image depicting New York in 1870 was a centerfold for the November 19, 1870 issue of Harper's Weekly. It includes the site and eventual appearance of the East River New York-Brooklyn Bridge; the name later shortened to the Brooklyn Bridge. The print was issued eleven months after the start of construction of the bridge on January 2, 1870, which would take another 12.5 years to complete. When this view was drawn, work on the bridge was all below ground, constructing the supports for the bridge’s towers. Labels in the upper portion of the print identify locations in the background including "Light Ship...
Late 19th Century Naturalistic Theodore R. Davis Art
Woodcut
