Birch, William "The New Theatre in Chesnut [sic] Street Philadelphia."

William Birch. "The New Theatre in Chesnut [sic] Street Philadelphia." From The City of Philadelphia.  Philadelphia: William Birch, 1827-28.  Fourth edition.  6 ¼ x 8 (image).  Engraving.  Uncolored. Very faint mat burn inside plate mark and small loss of image in sky on left hand side in painted. Otherwise fine condition. 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 sophisticated 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 the b