Bartlett was born in Kentish Town, Londonin 1809. He was apprenticed to John Britton (1771–1857), and becameone of the foremost illustrators of topography of his generation. Hetravelled throughout Britain, and in the mid and late 1840s hetravelled extensively in the Balkans and the Middle East. He madefour visits to North America between 1836 and 1852.
In 1835,Bartlett first visited the United States to draw the buildings, townsand scenery of the north-eastern states. The finely detailed steelengravings Bartlett produced were published uncolored with a text byNathaniel Parker Willis as American Scenery;
Date: - 1839
Folio Size: - 200mm x260mm
Printed area 120 mm x 180 mm
WilliamHenry Bartlett (1809-1854) was a British landscape artist famous forhis views of all parts of the world which appeared in a series oftravel volumes issued in the nineteenth century. In 1837 Britishpublisher George Virtue began to publish what would become the mostsuccessful of all Bartlett’s series, a work written by Americanauthor Nathaniel P. Willis and entitled AmericanScenery: or Land, Lake, and River Illustrations of TransatlanticNature.The book and its prints were first issued in a series of partsrunning to November 1839, and then the entire work was issued in twovolumes in January 1840.
Thisbook and Bartlett’s prints were a huge success. AmericanScenery wasreissued numerous times up to about 1870 and the prints (and piratedcopies of them) appeared not only in these volumes, but also inmagazines, other books, and as separate prints. Bartlett made severaltrips to the United States to gather sketches for AmericanScenery.He followed the popular tourist route from New York City, up to theHudson and then west to Niagara Falls. Also visiting New England andthe mid-Atlantic region, Bartlett produced distinct and well lovedimages of most of the major sites of interest to tourists, bothEuropean and American. This collection of charming prints of thenatural wonders, architectural monuments and city landmarks capturesthe look and feel of the United States in the 1830’s as no otherand they remain some of the most popular and pleasing prints ofAmerica ever issued.
Condition: Fine
Description:
published in January 1839 by George Virtue
.Edited by Nathaniel P. Willis and entitled American Scenery: