Third Street, Philadelphia. Boston: Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion, 1852. $95.00

"Third Street, Philadelphia, - Showing the Ledger, and Jayne's Buildings" 

In the nineteenth century, before photography became commonplace, newspapers, guidebooks, and periodicals were illustrated with wood engravings. Many of the best artists of the day earned their bread and butter in this manner. They produced beautiful images that are technically superb original nineteenth century prints, invaluable for the historical information they provide. The prints provide glimpses into the daily life of the period and a great deal of information concerning the architectural detail of specific locations and individual buildings.  Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion…
was a journal that was published weekly in Boston. It was modeled on the Illustrated London News. Contributors included Sylvanus Cobb, T. S. Arthur, and Horatio Alger. Despite the high quality of its illustrations, the Drawing Room Companion was only published for a half dozen years during the 1850’s.

This wonderfully detailed view is surrounded by fascinating text describing the buildings occupying this corner of the city, the cost of their construction and the enterprises they contained including the United states Life Insurance and Trust Company and the Ledger company.

15 ¼ x 11 inches, sheet.
Hand colored wood engraving.
Excellent condition.