Fay, Theodore S.:

$7,500 · Offered by William Reese Company

VIEWS IN NEW-YORK AND ITS ENVIRONS, FROM ACCURATE, CHARACTERISTIC & PICTURESQUE DRAWINGS, TAKEN ON THE SPOT.... An extremely rare set of the "Peabody Views" of New York, in the original parts as issued, with text by the editor, Theodore Fay. The parts were issued from 1831 to 1834, published by Peabody & Co. in New York and bookseller Obadiah Rich in London. The views were engraved and the text printed entirely in New York, Rich acting as the London distributor.The Peabody Views "offer fascinating glimpses of New York in the 1830's" - Deák. Together with the Bourne series issued in 1830-31, they are the first series to show a broad spectrum of American urban life. At least seven artists contributed to the series, with the views showing a mixture of topographical scenes and elevations of important buildings. Deák notes the plates are "energetically conceived, with a thrust towards a painterly effect...a combined process of etching and engraving, requiring prolonged and meticulous craftsmanship, was used in transferring the drawings for both the Peabody and the Bourne views to the plate...the two sets of New York views represent American printmaking at a high level." A complete list of the views is given in Deák, but scenes include "Broadway from the Park," "Bowling Green," "City Hall," "Navy Yard Brooklyn," "Short Tower," "Elysian Fields Hoboken," "Merchants Room Exchange," "Hudson River from Hoboken," "Park Theatre - Park Row," "Holt's New Hotel," "Webb's Congress Hall," "Dea

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