The Hudson River Port Folio - photo 1
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The Hudson River Port Folio - photo 11
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The Hudson River Port Folio

Lot 80
16.06.2023 16:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 100 800
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 965114
Lot 80 | The Hudson River Port Folio
Estimate value
$ 100 000 – 150 000
The Hudson River Port Folio
William G. Wall, 1821-1825
WALL, William G. (1792-c.1863). [The Hudson River Port Folio. New York: Henry G. Megarey (plates 1-20), W.B. Gilley (plates 2,3,5 & 11), John Mill (plates 3,5 & 11), 1821-1825.

"The most generally desired American color plate single item" (Bennett). "The Hudson River Portfolio is arguably the most beautiful color plate book published in the United States in the nineteenth century ... Many of the views in the portfolio combine natural landscapes with benign or idealized images of towns and industries along the Hudson. The additions made by humans complement rather than disturb the harmony of the scenes. In the image of Glenns Falls, for example, the river bridge and mill buildings are a rationalizing element rather than an intrusive structure, balancing the chaos of the untamed falls. It seemed, in Wall's view, that man could shape the landscape without fundamentally altering it" (Creating America).

The twenty plates depict views on the Hudson beginning at its headwaters near Luzerne and ending with a view of New York taken from Governor's Island. "All of the scenes were drawn by an Irish-American artist, William Guy Wall, and engraved in New York by John Hill. Despite the quality of execution, the series was not a commercial success and ended before the full complement of plates was issued" (ibid). Indeed, the idealistic attempt by the two immigrants, Wall and Hill, to produce such a luxurious book of views at this time left some bibliographic oddities. Wall painted the watercolors in 1820 and it was originally intended that the work be published in six parts, each containing four plates. From 1821-1825 only five parts were completed and published by Megarey. Megarey issued additional prints from the plates until 1827, but in the following year the publication rights were transferred to the Carvills, and the plates were re-engraved to add the names "G. & C. & H. Carvill" in 1828. This copy has all plates in the original Megarey issue but is without the 20 leaves of letterpress text. Bennett, p. 60; Creating America 58 (illustrating no. 6, Glenn's Falls "a balance of man and nature"); Howes W-47 ("d"); Koke, "A Checklist of the American Engravings of John Hill," nos. 73-94 (all first state except pls. 11 & 22 in second state, but still before 1828); Sabin 22529 (erroneously calling for 21 plates); Stamped with a National Character 6 (illustrated on dust jacket back cover).

Oblong broadsheet folio (481 x 655mm). Lacking letterpress text. 20 hand-colored aquatint engravings all after paintings by William Wall and engraved by John Hill; except no. 2 finished by Hill [after I.R. Smith], nos. 3 and 5 engraved by I.R. Smith, nos. 2-3, and 5 published by H.I. Megarey and W.B. Gilley in New York and John Mill in Charleston, South Carolina; no. 11 engraved by I.R. Smith and finished by Hill (marginal restoration and small marginal repairs throughout, more extensive marginal repair on pls. 11, 13, 16 and 20 which just shaves the last part of imprint). Modern red half morocco gilt to style, preserving older marbled boards and a red morocco gilt titling piece "Views in America."Wall, William Guy
New York
Hill, John
Hudson River Valley
Auction house category:Printed books
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
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16.06.2023
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