View of Cincinnati, Ohio, from Covington, Ky.

Share

Cincinnati seen from the Kentucky shore is the particular view here: the Ohio River in the foreground, with Covington on the southern bank looking across to the city on the north side. Riverfront vantage points like this one were a favorite subject for nineteenth-century artists and engravers, who used them to show off a growing commercial city built along the water. Cincinnati earned the nickname "Queen City of the West" for its steamboat trade, meatpacking and manufacturing, and a view from across the river captured both the skyline and the busy landing that made it possible. Pictures of this kind are worth studying for the boats, warehouses and church spires that reveal how the city looked and worked.

More from the Ohio collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.