1865 Robertson / Kelly View of West Point and the Hudson River, New York

Hudson Valley Heroes.

This is a c. 1865 William Robertson view of the Hudson River and U.S. Military Academy at West Point, published by Thomas Kelly. It was one of several prints produced around this time depicting similar scenes, likely meant to capitalize on interest in the Military Academy generated by American Civil War (1861 - 1865).

A Closer Look

The view looks out over the Hudson River towards the Military Academy from a high point on the Garrison side of the river, probably the former Ware estate. The bluff of West Point appears at left, with military-style buildings. The river is alive with activity, with two paddlewheel steamships and several sailboats of various sizes. At right, the Hudson River Railroad can be seen steaming towards New York City, while the back of another train heading in the opposite direction is also evident. In the foreground, a group of people on horseback and foot walk towards the river, perhaps to catch a boat.

At this time, the campus largely consisted of a North and South Barracks and an academic building known simply as 'the Academy.' However, the main building depicted here is most likely the West Point Hotel (built 1829), which housed alums, visiting dignitaries, and cadets' families, among others.

U.S. Military Academy at West Point

The United States Military Academy at West Point has a storied history as one of the world's most prestigious institutions for military education. Proposed by Alexander Hamilton during the Quasi-War (1798 - 1800) and established in 1802 by President Thomas Jefferson, West Point was envisioned as a center for training gentleman officers for the fledgling United States Army. The early years of the Academy were tumultuous, and there were few standards regarding cadets' ages or the length of their studies. The War of 1812 convinced Congress to develop the Academy along more formalized lines to train a professional officer corps.

Colonel Sylvanus Thayer (1785 - 1872), himself a graduate of the Academy, became superintendent in 1817 and undertook a series of reforms, including a standardized and rigorous four-year curriculum with an emphasis on engineering, admission based on merit, strict discipline, and a strong ethical code. The results were dramatic, and by the time Thayer ended his tenure as superintendent in 1833, the Academy thrived on excellence in leadership, academics, and military training. Many of the cadets trained during Thayer's tenure went on to become leading officers during the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848) and the American Civil War (1861 - 1865).

Publication History and Census

This view was printed by William C. Robertson and published by Thomas Kelly, both of New York City, around the year 1865. It bears close resemblance to a contemporary view attributed to the artist Frederick Blumner and printed by Lyon and Company (previously offered: WestPoint-blumner-1862). Both views are likely ultimately based on a painting by William James Bennett, printed as an aquatint in 1831 and then reissued and imitated thereafter (see WestPointCurrierIves-bennett-1860, and the Library of Congress's print by J. F. Smart and Kahlmann, digitized as LC-DIG-pga-03302). That said, the present view is uncatalogued in institutional collections and has only come to market twice in the past decade.

Cartographers

William C. Robertson (fl. c. 1865 - 1917) was a printer active in New York City in the mid-late 19th century. Unfortunately, few details of his life are available or discoverable given the commonness of his name. However, Robertson does appear as a printer or stationer in city directories between about 1865 and 1917. Robertson is also noted as having filed a patent claim in 1890 for a new printing method involving turpentine and linseed oil.   Further Details...

Thomas Kelly (c. 1795 - 1841) was an Irish-born printer and publisher active in New York in the 19th century. The known details of Kelly's life are minimal despite his firm being among the most prominent publishers of lithographic prints in the 1850s - 1860s. Researching Kelly's life is not helped by his relatively common name, making it difficult to distinguish him from the dozens of other Thomas Kellys in New York City at the time. One aid is the address of his business at 17 Barclay Street, and city directories list a Thomas Kelly at that address until 1883. Though based in New York, Kelly may have also established an operation in Philadelphia for a time. Kelly himself is believed to have died in 1840 or 1841, but a firm using his name was active into the mid-1880s, if not later, and thus was presumably continued by his business partner or family member (seemingly a Thomas, Jr., as some advertisements of the era are signed 'Thomas Kelly'). A publisher of schoolbooks named Thomas Kelly was also in operation in New York c. 1890, which may or may not be the same company, while another Thomas Kelly operated as a printer and publisher in London c. 1850 - 1930.   Further Details...

Condition

Fair. Areas of infill to margins and barely entering the top part of the printed image. Closed edge tears professionally repaired on verso.