1854 Lemercier / Bachmann View of New York from Union Square

This is a spectacular 2-color chromolithograph bird's-eye view of New York City by C. Wild, H. Walter, and Lemercier. The work represents New York as it attempted to establish itself as a premier global metropolis, comparable to London and Paris. The view looks south towards New York Harbor from a fictional high-point above Union Square (14th - 18th Sts.). The city's primary arteries, Broadway, University Place, and 4th Avenue are exaggerated in their width, giving them the aspect of broad Parisian-style boulevards. The foreground is occupied by Union Square itself, with its dramatic fountain, surrounded by impressive European style architecture.

Union Square, as good as London or Paris?

When this view and the related view by Bachman were issued, the area around Union Square represented a fashionable, exclusive enclave, the crème de la crème of New York real estate. Union Square was the grandest park in the city. Its monumental fountain, hailed by some as unequaled anywhere on Earth, celebrated not only its own beauty, but the ample fresh water supported by the newly completed Croton Aqueduct. Horse-drawn trams, the beginnings of the Harlem Railroad, run up and down Fourth Avenue, offering quick access to the Battery, harbor, and business districts.

The developer of Gramercy Park, Samuel Bulkley Ruggles (1799 - 1881), owned most of the real-estate around Union Square. In addition to constructing his own impressive 4-story mansion on Union Square East, Ruggles leased and developed other properties around the square for the monied elite. The majesty of the area is apparent in this engraving. Wild, the lithographic engraver, employs a clever technique to highlight Union Square and the surrounded properties - practically bathing them in light. This is a two-color lithograph, black content on cream background. The cream color is reduced around the park and surrounding facades, allowing the stark white paper to show through, brilliantly highlighting this newly developed part of New York. The density of ships in the harbor and at dock also differ.

Bachmann vs. Lemercier

This spectacular view is inspired by a very similar view of New York issued in 1849 by John Bachmann. That view was Bachmann's first American bird’s-eye view, as well as the first full-scale bird’s-eye perspective view of New York. Here Walter, Wild, and Lemercier have narrowed the east-west scope of the view, thus focusing more on Union Square and exaggerating the apparent length of New York. Some of the harbor buildings in Brooklyn, including large grain warehouses, are also drawn larger than life. The two-tone highlighting technique, mentioned above, is also a unique innovation evident only on the Lemercier edition.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography 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 effect. 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 dominate method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This view was engraved on stone in Paris by 'H. Walter', printed by Lemercier et Cie., and published by 'C. Wild'. Stylistically it is drawn from the work of John Bachmann in New York, but is a completely separate engraving. There were several different states. The present example, a 2-color chromolithograph, with the title 'Vue General de New-York'. A four-color chromolithograph also exists with the subtitle 'Prise de l'Union Square'. Rare to the market.