William Russell Birch was born in Warwickshire, England, and immigrated to the United States in 1794. Apart from the Views of Philadelphia, he is best known as a miniaturist and enamel painter. His son Thomas Birch (1779–1851) worked with him to produce the Views of Philadelphia and went on to become better known as a marine artist, making many paintings of engagements from the War of 1812.

The City of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania North America as it appeared in the Year 1800 (first edition) of 27 views was the first American color-plate book (though it was also sold without coloring) and is unparalleled as a document of an early American city. It listed 156 individuals as subscribers, including Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Henry Latrobe. The book includes general street views, as well as views that highlight specific structures such as churches, hospitals, markets, and banks.

The Bank of Pennsylvania was designed by architect and engineer Benjamin Henry Latrobe, who is often considered to be America’s first professional architect. The Bank of Pennsylvania is regarded as the earliest significant American building in the Greek revival style. As such, it would help set the direction of the new nation’s architectural image as expressed in public and government buildings. In December of 1798, Latrobe moved from Virginia to Philadelphia to undertake work on the bank, which was completed in 1801. The bank was not completed at the time Birch published the first edition (the present print) of the Views of Philadelphia; a later edition features an entirely different plate in which the bank much more dominates the view. In this later print the small front corner dependencies, a feature common to several Latrobe designs, are evident.