Item 7: An Engraving by John Dadley titled,“VIEW of BETHLEHEM a Moravian settlement,” after Isaac Weld (removed to Black Box #1) , 1798 December 22
Item — Box: 21, Folder: 7
Dates
- Created: 1798 December 22
Creator
Access:
All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.
Extent
1 items
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Type of Material:
Engraving
Condition Note:
Good
Measurements:
14 10/16 in. x 11 in. {backing}, 9 ¼ in. x 7 ⅜ in. {print}
Title:
VIEW of BETHLEHEM a Moravian settlement.
Description:
An engraving depicting a grand view of the town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There are many homes and farmland, and off into the distance in the mountain range. The engraving was created by John Dadley, on December 22, 1798, from an original drawing of the scene by Isaac Weld. Weld’s original drawing of the scene was produced in 1799, as a part of his travel text, Travels through the states of North America, and the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797.
Bethlehem is located in the Northampton and Lehigh counties in eastern Pennsylvania. Settled along the 109-mile long Lehigh River tributary of the Delaware River, this city historically was inhabited by indigenous people that included the Algonquian speaking Lenape. They traded with Dutch and British colonists up the east coast. William Allen who was a wealthy Philadelphia merchant and politician deeded 500 acres along the Monocacy Creek and Lehigh River to the Moravian Church on April 2, 1741. The Moravians would have a grand settlement here and often held missions.
According to Valley View of Northeastern Pennsylvania by Gilbert S. McClintock, “Illustration (page 45) Isaac Weld Jr., Travels through the States of North America and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada during the years 1795, 1796, and 1797 (London, 1799.) Weld, in describing the town says ‘Bethlehem is the principal settlement, in North America, of the Moravians, or United Brethren. It is most agreeable situated on a rising ground, bounded on one side by the river Lehigh, which falls into the Delaware, and on the other by the creek, which has a very rapid current, and affords excellent seats for a great number of mills. The town is regularly laid out, and contains about eighty strong built stone dwelling houses and a large church.’ This drawing was copied by Weld from an engraving of Bethlehem by S. Hill. Massachusetts Magazine for September, 1793, Boston.” This piece was illustrated by Isaac Weld, engraved by John Dadley, and published by I. Stockdale.
Isaac Weld, born in 1774, was an Anglo-Irish topographical writer, explorer, and artist who traveled extensively in North America. He was also a member of the Royal Dublin Society.
John Dadley worked in London where he was an engraver and printmaker.
The attributions for Issac Weld and John Dadley contain shorthand after their respective names, delt. for Weld and sculp. for Dadley. The Fine Rare Prints' webpage explains that delt. was a latin word that translated to “drew,” meaning that the original sketch was produced by the name proceeding it. The term sculp., stands for engraved or engraver, denoting the creator of the engraving produced from the original drawing. This means that Dadley was the creator of the engraving, while Weld was the original sketcher of the scene within the engraving.
Location:
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Piccadilly
Transcription:
I. Weld delt. [drew] J. Dadley sculp. [engraved/engraver]
VIEW of BETHLEHEM a Moravian settlement.
Published Dec. 22. 1798, by I. Stockdale, Piccadilly.
Creator
- Weld Jr., Isaac, 1774-1856 (illustrator) (Person)
- Dadley, John, 1767-1817 (engraver) (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository
Contact:
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu
84 W South St.
Wilkes-Barre PA 18701 US
570-408-2000
570-408-7823 (Fax)
ask.archives@wilkes.edu