This print depicts an imaginary view of British troops entering New York in the wake of American defenders’ retreat. On September 15, 1776, some 12,000 troops under the command of General William Howe landed on lower Manhattan and quickly took control of the city. In this view, groups of soldiers march in close rank down a street that recedes into the center foreground of the scene.   

Perspective views (or vues d’optique) such as this were a type of popular print published in Europe during the eighteenth century, meant to be viewed with the aid of  devices called “optical machines,” “optiques,” “zograscopes,” or “peepshows.” The prints’ exaggerated perspective lines gave a heightened sense of depth when viewed with the devices, making them both visually playful and historically intriguing. The prints were exhibited by traveling showmen in the streets of European cities and were collected by those who had the optical devices at home. In this way, they prefigure the popular stereopticons of the 1800s.