Joseph Yeager
Procession of Victuallers of Philadelphia on the 15th of March 1821 conducted under the direction of Mr. William White

Procession of Victuallers of Philadelphia on the 15th of March 1821 conducted under the direction of Mr. William White

Public Domain

Procession of Victuallers of Philadelphia on the 15th of March 1821 conducted under the direction of Mr. William White
ArtistAmerican, c.1792–1859, active Philadelphia, 1800–1825
ArtistAmerican, born Germany, 1789–1821
PublisherAmerican, c.1792–1859, active Philadelphia, 1800–1825
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Procession of Victuallers of Philadelphia on the 15th of March 1821 conducted under the direction of Mr. William White
Datec. 1821–1822
Printed inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
MediumAquatint, etching and watercolor on laid paper
DimensionsImage: 14 1/4 × 23 5/8 in. (36.2 × 60 cm)
Sheet: 18 1/4 × 24 3/8 in. (46.4 × 61.9 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by Alfred C. Glassell, III in honor of his father, Alfred C. Glassell, Jr., at "One Great Night in November, 2007"
Object numberB.2007.6
Not on view

Explore Further

Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
DescriptionThis engraving embodies the pride of a group of Philadelphia's tradesmen, its butchers. The composition is after a painting by John Lewis Krimmel, which reinforces contemporary accounts describing him as the "American Hogarth." The butchers, dressed in their regalia, process through the streets. At the fair's conclusion, most of the animals were slaughtered and more than 86,000 pounds of beef, pork, lamb, and even bear meat, were harvested. Today, this image is heralded as a masterpiece among nineteenth-century American prints, testifying to Philadelphia's economic successes, as well as the compassion the city demonstrated for its less fortunate citizens as manifested in the seal and motto in the title line, "We feed the hungry." Though the composition includes but a single Black figure in the left foreground, by 1820 Philadelphia’s Blacks constituted approximately ten percent of the city’s population.
Provenance[The Philadelphia Print Shop, Philadelphia]; purchased by MFAH, 2007.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below plate, left: Drawn by J.L. Krimmel.
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below plate, center: This view is taken from M. Carey & Sons Book Store S.E. corner of 4th and Chestnut Strs.
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below plate, right: Engraved by J.Yeager.
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below plate, center: PROCESSION OF VICTUALLERS / OF PHILADELPHIA, ON THE 15TH OF MARCH 1821. CONDUCTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MR. WILLIAM WHITE.
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below plate, center: The occasion that gave rise to this SPLENDID PROCESSION, was conveying the meat of the stock of exhibition Cattle to Market, which for number: quality, bounty and variety, has never been slaughtered at any one time in this, or probably in any other country. 100 carts were / required to convey them to market, and the whole was sold within twenty four hours, there were 42 head of oxen weighing 53024 lbs. the suet and fat 15221 lbs. 1 Calf, 20 Hogs, 19 Sheep, 7 Kids, 5 cub Bears, and 2 Fawns, making a total of 36731 lbs. / The praise worthy excertions of our respectable citizens (whose names are subjoined) in the improvement of cattle fed the following number, with their weight. Lewis Clapier Esq.r 16 of the Gough breed, 21662 lbs. and 8 of the common drove cattle, 9209 lbs. M.r William White. 4 oxen, / 4451 ibs. 7 Kids. 5 cub Bears, and 2 Fawns. George Sheaff Esq.r 4, 4721 ibs. Peter Wager Esq.r 4 4496 lbs. Major Pissant. 1 ox 1550 lbs. and 1 Calf 552 lbs M.r P. Lowry, 1 Stear, 1977 lbs. M.r H. Boraff 2, 2044 lbs M.r S. Painter 2,2362 lbs. 1 Sheep by W.m Bradley, 8, by A. Clements & 10 S. West.
Recto: Inscribed in printed ink, below plate, center bottom edge: Philadelphia Published and sold by Joseph Yeager No. 37 Chestnut Street. / Printed by Charles Woodward Jr.
Catalogue raisonnéDeak 331, Munsing 33, Naeve 105, Stauffer 3438

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

Still of video
Josh Azzarella
2006
Single-channel video, edition 5/7 + 3 AP
2013.336
Selendang
1800–1850
Silk, gold, and silver thread
97.128
Crown
19th century
Gold
2004.2365
Man's Ceremonial Pectoral
1750–1800
Sheet gold
2004.2280
René Grégoire
Designed 1917, minted 1917–1929
Bronze
45.12
Four Episodes in the Life of Moses
Romualdo Alinari
1850–1859
Albumen silver print
2000.280.52
Funerary Mask
200 BC–200 AD
Gold
2004.2495
Dish
1623–1650
Tin-glazed earthenware
2019.489
Maharana Jagat Singh II and Nobles Watching the Raslila Dance Dramas
c. 1736–1740
Opaque watercolor and gold on paper
89.334
Kris Handle
late 18th–early 19th Century
Gold with inlaid glass and stones
2004.2272
Avian Hacha
700–900
Stone
2018.418
Disco Demolition Night
Hernan Bas
2022
Acrylic on linen
2022.778