Snapshots of the Past

View of Washington, D.C., Looking Northwest from Southeast of the U.S. Capitol – Vintage Wall Art

View of Washington, D.C., Looking Northwest from Southeast of the U.S. Capitol, c. 1846–1855 — historic drawing
View of Washington, D.C., Looking Northwest from Southeast of the U.S. Capitol, c. 1846–1855. Historic drawing from the U.S. Capitol collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

This rare historic drawing captures View of Washington, D.C., Looking Northwest from Southeast of the U.S. Capitol in remarkable detail. The original is held by the Library of Congress, so what you hang is a true record of its time.

Framed, it is ready for the wall; unframed, it is ready for the frame you choose. A conversation-starting piece for home, office, or as a meaningful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Since 2001, Snapshots of the Past has shipped historic prints to tens of thousands of customers around the world.

View of Washington, D.C., Looking Northwest from Southeast of the U.S. Capitol

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The view looks northwest from the southeast side of the U.S. Capitol, taking in a Washington that was still largely unfinished in the mid-1800s. The city's wide avenues and open lots stand out against a scattering of houses and public buildings, a reminder of how far the planned capital ran ahead of its actual growth. Attributed possibly to Augustus Kollner, a German-born lithographer and artist who worked in the United States, the watercolor and gouache piece dates to roughly 1846 to 1855, a period when the Capitol dome was still under construction. Its vantage point makes it a useful record of the early capital's layout.

Created / publishedc. 1846–1855
Mediumdrawing, watercolor, and gouache
NotesPossibly by Augustus Kollner
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan1,281 × 742 px · prints to 4 × 2 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-219382

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