New York City - improved project of a covered atmospheric elevated railway for city transit, by Dr. R.H. Gilbert – Historic Reproduction
(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
Few images capture their era like this antique engraving of New York City - improved project of a covered atmospheric elevated railway for city transit, by Dr. R.H. Gilbert. It comes from the collections of the Library of Congress, scanned from the original and carefully restored.
The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. It makes a striking addition to a living room, study or office, and a thoughtful 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.
New York City - improved project of a covered atmospheric elevated railway for city transit, by Dr. R.H. Gilbert
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Dr. R.H. Gilbert's proposal for a covered, atmospheric elevated railway is the detail that sets this engraving apart from other views of New York's transit schemes. It ran on page 1 of *Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper* on March 18, 1871. In the early 1870s, steam-powered elevated lines already crossed Manhattan on iron structures above the street, and the city was debating how to move its growing population faster. Atmospheric railways, which used air pressure in a tube to push cars along, offered an alternative that promised quieter, cleaner travel. The engraving shows Gilbert's imagined structure in the city's streets, a vision of transit that was never built as drawn.
| Created / published | 1871 |
|---|---|
| Medium | 1 print : wood engraving. |
| Genre | Periodical illustrations 1870-1880.Wood engravings 1870-1880. |
| Notes | Illus. in: Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, 1871 March 18, p. 1. |
| Subjects | Elevated railroads--New York (State)--New York--1870-1880. City & town life--New York (State)--New York--1870-1880. |
| Source | Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division |
| Original scan | 3,286 × 4,096 px · prints to 11 × 14 in at 300 dpi |
| Reference | AMZ-SOTP-HPA-184956 |
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