12. Birch, William, and Son.
The / CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, / in the State of Pennsylvania /
North America; / as it appeared in the Year 1800 / consisting of
TWENTY EIGHT Plates / Drawn and Engraved by W. BIRCH &
SON. / Published by W. Birch, Springfield Cot, near Nethaminy Bridge
on the Bristol Road, Pennsylvania. Decr. 31st. 1800.
Folio. Engraved frontispiece (1 leaf); engraved title page (1 leaf); 28
engraved plates; list of subscribers (1 unnumbered p.).
The University owns a microprint copy only.
William Birch (1755-1834) was born in Warwickshire and educated
in Bristol and London. In England he exhibited miniatures at the Royal
Academy, in 1785 received a medal from the Society of Arts, and published
a series of views called Delices de la Grande Bretagne (London,
1789). Emigrating to this country in 1794, he worked on the City of
Philadelphia between 1798 and 1800 and included in it a series of views
of the city and of its prominent buildings. He published a view of New
York in 1803, issued a series of plates of American country seats in
1808, and executed a number of miniatures.
On the page of subscribers for the City of Philadelphia he says:
The price of the Work, in boards, is 28 Dollars; bound, 31 dollars; if coloured,
in boards, 41½ Dollars; bound, 44½ Dollars. Also may be had, a large Print of
the Frontispiece, 25¼ inches by 21½ engraved in an elegant and bold style, for
the purpose of framing: Price 6 Dollars plain, and 9 coloured. A companion
to which is now engraving, to be the City of New-York, which will, together
compose an elegant pair of Prints of the two principal Cities of NorthAmerica.
The list of subscribers includes "Thomas Jefferson, Vice-President of U.
States" and "Mr. B. Henry Latrobe, Richmond, Virginia."
Jefferson's own copy was sold to Congress. The work was not ordered
for the University.
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