Shaw, Joshua “Falls of St. Anthony on the Mississippi.”

Joshua Shaw.  “Falls of St. Anthony on the Mississippi.”  From Picturesque Views of American Scenery.  Philadelphia: Thomas T. Ash, 1835.  Second edition.  9 7/8 x 13 3/8.  Aquatints with line etching by John Hill.  Uncolored.  A rare print from a very interesting series of American views that combine the work of some of the most talented Americans of the early nineteenth century.  Joshua Shaw (ca. 1777-1860) was born and trained in England, where he exhibited at the Royal Academy.  With a recommendation of his work from Benjamin West, Shaw emigrated to Philadelphia in 1817.  He was enthralled by his new country, and as a result conceived the grand scheme of producing a folio of prints based on “correct delineations of some of the most prominent beauties of notable scenery.”  He planned to travel throughout the United States to make his drawings, and to issue the prints by subscription in six sets of six views each.  This was the first systematic attempt to depict the American landsca