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Item 179: Photograph by Unknown of an Aquatint by Lucas Weber titled, “View of Bethlehem,” after Karl Bodmer, Published between 1839-1842

 Item — Box: 22, Folder: 2

Photograph of an Aquatint titled, “View of Bethlehem,” by Karl Bodmer and Lucas Weber, et. al, Published between 1839-1842

Dates

  • Created: Published between 1839-1842

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

Additional Description

Type of Material:

Photograph

Condition Note:

Good.

Measurements:

10 in. x 8 in.

Title:

View of Bethlehem

Description:

A photograph depicting an image of the town of Bethlehem with some people in the foreground. There is a church or town hall featured prominently in the town. 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. The original piece was published by Ackermann and Company and J. Holscher, edited by Arthus Bertrand, engraved by Lucas Weber after an original drawing by Karl Bodmer. The manuscript in our collection is a photograph by an unknown creator of that aquatint. According to Valley Views of Northeastern Pennsylvania by Gilbert S. McClintock, referring to plate 58 description, “A scene on the upper waters of the Lehigh River, drawn by Bodmer, a Swiss artist, on his travels in North America with Maximilian, Prince of Wied. The drawings were made by Bodmer, aquatinted in Paris, and published as a portfolio of prints with the German, French, and English editions of the travels; Von Maximilian Prinz zu Wied, Reise in das innere Nord-America in den Jahren 1832 bis 1834 (Coblenz, 1839-43); Le Prince Maximilian de Wied-Neuwied, Voyage dans l’interieur de l’Amerique du Nord, execute pendant les annees 1832, 1833 et 1834 (Paris, 1840-43); Maximilian, Prince of Wied, Travels in the interior of North America (London, Ackerman and Co., 1843). Some of the aquatints were originally printed in two colors, some printed in black and beautifully hand-colored. The drawings made by Bodmer are some of the finest landscapes that were made by any of the early travelers in this country, and the superb craftsmanship used in reproducing and coloring them for the portfolios that accompanied the story of the journey, make them most treasured additions to any print collection. An engraving (4 ¼ by 6 ⅛ inches) of this drawing by Bodmer was published in Germany under the title “Urwald-Landschaft am Lehigh” ans d.Kunstanst d.Bibl Instit. In Hildhsn Eigenthum d.Verleger.” Johann Carl Bodmer, born February 11, 1809 was a Swiss-French printmaker, etcher, lithographer, zinc engraver, draughtsman, painter, illustrator, and hunter. He is better known as Karl Bodmer in his literature and paintings. The change of signature was likely due to the birth of his son, Charles-Henry Barbizon, that he began to sign his works K Bodmer. Bodmer was also well known in Germany for his watercolors, drawings, and aquatints of cities and landscapes of the Rhine, Mosel, and Lahn rivers. Rudolph Ackermann was born in Schneeberg, Saxony on April 10, 1764. He was a bookseller, lithographer, publisher, and inventor who moved to Paris then London in 1795 and opened a drawing school. He began publishing lithographs in 1796. He was part of a business called Ackermann & Co. that patented a method of making cloth and paper waterproof in 1801. Arthus-Bertrand was founded by Claude Arthus-Bertrand in 1803 and resided in Paris. This firm made medals and decorations. There were many artists that designed for the firm including Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, who had sculpted the Statue of Liberty, and Fernand Léger. Arthus-Bertrand still operates today and employs nearly 300 people. Dates: Published between 1839-1842 Creator: Illustrated by Karl Bodmer, Aquatint by Lucas Weber, Published in German by J. Holscher, Published in English by Ackerman & Co., Published in French by Arthus Bertrand

Location:

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Setting), London, Coblenz, and Paris (Publication)

Transcription:

{annotation} Ch[arles] Bodmer pinxt ad nat[ure] Imp. de Bougeard Lucas Weber sc *[pinxt/ He painted] *[Imprime/Printed] [sc/ engraved] Ansicht Von Bethlehem [German] Vue de Bethlehem [Luxembourgish] (Pennsylvania) (Pennsylvania) View of Bethlehem (Pennsylvania)

London Published by Ackermann & Co[mpany] 96 Strand Colbenz bei J Holscher Paris Arthus Bertrand [Éditeur] Translation Attempt: Painted after nature by Charles Bodmer Printed by Bougeard View of Bethlehem (German) | View of Bethelhem (French) View of Bethlehem (English) Kolbenz by J. Holscher London Published by Ackermann & Co[mpany] 96 Strand Paris Arthus Bertrand Editor

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Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Wilkes University Archives Repository

https://archivepublic.wilkes.edu
Contact:
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