Beschreibung:

William BirchThe City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania North America as in appeared in the year 1800, published by William Birch, December 31st 1800, consisting of a frontispiece, a map, and twenty-six plates drawn by Birch and his son and engraved by W. Barker, on laid and wove paper, the frontispiece with calligraphy inscriptionJohn Morison Montgomery County Abington Township Pennsylvania Augt. 1801. William Russell Birch (1755-1834) was the first person to successfully publish engraved view books in the United States. Among the 156 original subscribers to the work were Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Jefferson who kept his copy in Washington and then Monticello until he sold it to help form the Library of Congress. There are not many copies of this book extant with few known still in private hands. The last public sale of a copy was Pook & Pook, Inc., January 14th, 2011, lot 337. Condition: Six image pages laid down. Six image plates cut out at impression and laid down. Other pages with soiling and several with tears and small losses to edges, missing Plates 4, 12, and 22. Three pages on wove paper, including the owner's inscription page, list of plates page, and final page listing prices.