W. Birch & Son
Bank of Pennsylvania South Second Street, Philadelphia.

Public Domain

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Images(2)

Artist W. Birch & Son(American, active c. 1798–1800)American, active c. 1798–1800

Artist William Russell Birch (American, born England, 1755–1834)American, born England, 1755–1834

Artist Thomas Birch(American, born England, 1779–1851)American, born England, 1779–1851

Artist Samuel Seymour(American, born England, active 1777–1823)American, born England, active 1777–1823

PublisherPublished by W. Birch & Son(American, active c. 1798–1800)American, active c. 1798–1800

CultureAmerican

Titles

Bank of Pennsylvania South Second Street, Philadelphia.
From the portfolio The City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania North America: As It Appeared in the Year 1800

Date1800

Place depictedPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Printed inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

MediumEtching and engraving on laid paper, first edition

DimensionsPlate: 10 7/8 × 13 3/8 in. (27.6 × 34 cm)
Sheet: 15 1/2 × 18 1/8 in. (39.4 × 46.1 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by an anonymous donor in honor of Sharon Dies

Object numberB.2019.10

Not on view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

PRINTS

DescriptionArchitect and engineer Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764–1820), often considered America’s first professional architect, designed the Bank of Pennsylvania. Many historians consider it as the first 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 dominates the view largely. In the later print, the bank’s small front corner dependencies, a feature common to several Latrobe designs, are evident.
ProvenanceThe Bank of New York Mellon; [The Philadelphia Print Shop]; purchased by MFAH, 2019.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below image, center: BANK OF PENNSYLVANIA, South Second Street PHILADELPHIA.
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below image, center: Drawn Engraved & Published by W. Birch & Son Neshaminy Bridge.
Recto: Inscribed in graphite, bottom left corner: 28
Verso: [none]
Recto [of mat]: [none]
Verso [of mat]: Inscribed in graphite, top right corner: 26 [circled]
Verso [of mat]: Inscribed in graphite, upper center: 26

Recto: [none]
Verso: [none]

Watermark: [none]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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