Birch, William "High Street Market, Philadelphia"

William Birch.  "State House Garden. Philadelphia." [Second plate] From The City of Philadelphia.  Philadelphia: William Birch, 1804.  Second edition.  Approx. 9 x 11 ½ (image).  Engraving.  Hand color. Trimmed to image. Framed with antique reverse enamel on glass.   When issued in 1800, William Birch’s prints of Philadelphia formed the first series of views of any American city.  As the first comprehensive picture of an American city, illustrating its buildings and street life, this work is of great historical importance.  The superior quality of the work is evidenced in its scope of conception, the artistic excellence of the prints, and their fine execution.  The prints provide a unique visual record of Philadelphia at a time when it was the most important and cosmopolitan city in the western hemisphere, and for a time was the capital of the newly formed United States.  Each print shows a scene of the vibrant city, with Birch focusing on the sophistication of the inhabitants and the