Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing The Eastern Penitentiary.

About this Item

Title

  • The Eastern Penitentiary.

Summary

  • This hand-colored lithograph shows a view looking over farmland toward the Eastern Penitentiary of Pennsylvania. In the foreground, a man and two boys survey the pastoral scene before the splendid gothic prison building. The penitentiary was built in 1823--36 after the designs of John Haviland and opened in an unfinished state in 1829. Located at 2101--99 Fairmount Avenue, it was one of the largest and most expensive structures of its day and was most unusual in having flush toilets and heating in the cells. The print is by John Caspar Wild (circa 1804-46), who also produced other views of the penitentiary, as did Samuel Cowperthwaite, James F. Queen, and George Lehman--whose image of the prison is very similar to this one. Wild was a Swiss-born artist and lithographer, who arrived in Philadelphia from Paris in 1832. He produced paintings and prints of Philadelphia and other American cities, including Cincinnati, Saint Louis, and Davenport, Iowa. His works are important historical records of these cities before the era of large-scale industrialization and rapid urban growth. This work was first published in 1838 by J.C. Wild & J.B. Chevalier as Plate 6 in Wild's "Views of Philadelphia." The lithographic stones for the views were acquired by John T. Bowen and reissued in 1838, and in 1848 with hand coloring.

Names

  • Bowen, John T., circa 1801-1856? Printer.
  • Wild, J. C. (John Caspar), circa 1804-1846 Artist.

Created / Published

  • Philadelphia : J.T. Bowen, 1848.

Headings

  • -  United States of America--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
  • -  1840 to 1848
  • -  Architecture, Gothic
  • -  Eastern State Penitentiary of Pennsylvania
  • -  Farms
  • -  Lithographs
  • -  Prisons

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  "Digital catalog number: POS 201.4"--Note extracted from World Digital Library.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 print : lithograph, hand-colored ; 14 x 18 centimeters.
  • -  Reference extracted from World Digital Library: Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers, http://www.librarycompany.org/pos/posdictionary.htm.|John External Caspar Wild, Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary, Library Company of Philadelphia, http://www.lcpdigital.org. External
  • -  Original resource at: The Library Company of Philadelphia.
  • -  Content in English.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Source Collection

  • Philadelphia on Stone

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021670287

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Bowen, John T., Circa ? Printer, and J. C Wild. The Eastern Penitentiary. Pennsylvania United States of America Philadelphia, 1848. Philadelphia: J.T. Bowen. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670287/.

APA citation style:

Bowen, J. T. & Wild, J. C. (1848) The Eastern Penitentiary. Pennsylvania United States of America Philadelphia, 1848. Philadelphia: J.T. Bowen. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021670287/.

MLA citation style:

Bowen, John T., Circa ? Printer, and J. C Wild. The Eastern Penitentiary. Philadelphia: J.T. Bowen. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021670287/>.