1876 O. H. Bailey View of Norwich, Connecticut

This is a rare 1876 chromolithograph bird's-eye view of Norwich, Connecticut, by Oakley Hoopes Bailey. Centered on the conjunctions of the Yantic, Shetucket, and Thames Rivers, the view looks northwards towards Norwich from a fictive high point just to the south. It illustrates Norwich early in the industrial revolution, with paddlewheel steamships competing for space on the river with sailing ships. Holly Hock Island is here a place of industry, with large factories billowing black smoke. Forested bucolic hills fade off into the horizon.

Illustrations

Along the bottom of the view are illustrations of Norwich Lock Manufacturing Co., the Court House, Hislop, Porteus and Mitchell Dry Goods, the First National Bank, and the Norwich Bleaching and Calendering Co. Just below the title there is an index to points of interest, and local government officials for 1876 and 1784.

American Bird's-Eye City Views

The tradition of the bird's-eye city view emerged in the United States in the middle part of the 19th century and coincided with the commercial development of lithographic printing. Before the rise of lithography, the ability to own and display artwork in the home was largely limited to the extremely wealthy, the advent of lithographic printing made it possible for everyone to own visually striking artwork. A robust trade developed in portraits of political leaders, allegorical and religious images, and city views.

City views were being produced in the United States as early as the 1830s, but the genre exploded after the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). Bridging the gap between maps and pictures, most 19th century American bird's-eye views presented cities to the public from high vantage points. Some were imagined, but others were drawn from hot-air balloons or nearby hills. The presentation, combining high elevation, commercial interest, and new printing technology, created a uniquely American art form, as described by historian Donald Karshan,

Some print connoisseurs believe that it was only with the advent of the full-blown city-view lithograph that American printmaking reached its first plateau of originality, making a historical contribution to the graphic arts. They cite the differences between the European city-view prints and the expansive American version that reflects a new land and a new attitude toward the land.

The vogue for bird's-eye city views lasted from about 1845 to 1920, during which period some 2,400 cities were thus portrayed, some multiple times. Although views were produced in many urban centers, the nexus of view production in the United States was Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The major American viewmakers were Stoner, Wellge, Bailey, Fowler, Hill, Ruger, Koch, Burleigh, Norris, and Morse, among others.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History

This view was drawn and published by Oakley Hoopes Bailey. It was engraved in lithographic stone by Charles H. Vogt and printed by Jacob Knauber. This view is quite rare with the OCLC identifying only four examples in institutional collections. Further examples are located in the Boston Public Library and at least one other example is in private hands.