You are bidding on a huge original antique color print from an 1880s illustrated journal.

It depicts a color aerial view of the proposed Manchester Ship Canal. Very beautiful and lots of detail.

The Manchester Ship Canal was proposed as a way of giving ocean-going vessels direct access to Manchester. The region was suffering from the effects of the Long Depression, and for the canal's proponents, who argued that the scheme would boost competition and create jobs, the idea of a ship canal made sound economic sense. They initiated a public campaign to enlist support for the scheme, which was first presented to Parliament as a bill in 1882. Faced with stiff opposition from Liverpool, the canal's supporters were unable to gain the necessary Act of Parliament to allow the scheme to go ahead until 1885. Construction began in 1887; it took six years and cost about £15 million. When the ship canal opened in January 1894 it was the largest river navigation canal in the world.

The canal is a river navigation 36 miles (58 km) long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift vessels about 60 feet (18 m) up to Manchester where the canal's terminus was built.

It is very large (double folio size), measuring approximately 36 x 12 inches (91.5 x 30.5 cm). The picture fills most of the page, with a caption below. The back of the print is blanks, which means it was probably a rare supplement to the journal.

The print has 3 vertical folds in the middle, where it was folded into the magazine long ago. Note that the fold lines areclean and undamaged, because it was "tipped" into the binding. This was a luxury binding technique of that era, because the double page prints were free of binding holes down the center.

The page is in excellent condition for its age. See scan for an accurate view of the condition.

This print will come with a Certificate of Authenticity.