Eliza Greatorex (etchings) and M. Despard (text). Old New York, From the Battery to Bloomingdale. Introductory note by William Cullen Bryant. Etchings produced by H. Thatcher from the original pen drawings of the artist. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 4th Avenue and 23d Street. 1875. Folio, in original printed wrappers. 7 parts present of 10 issued, with 1 duplicate (Parts 1, 3, 3 [duplicate], 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9; lacking Parts 2, 7, and 10). Each part with etchings of historic Manhattan buildings and streetscapes, accompanied by descriptive text. Wrappers worn and soiled with edge chips and tears; front covers and occasional leaves detached on most parts but present. Etchings clean and sharp throughout. Fair to good overall. This scarce subscription-only work records vanishing colonial and early American architecture in Manhattan, from the Battery northward through Greenwich Village, Chelsea, and Bloomingdale. Eliza Greatorex was one of the first women elected to the National Academy of Design, and these etchings — depicting Dutch farmhouses, old churches, and landmarks many of which were demolished shortly after she drew them — represent an irreplaceable visual record of pre-modern New York. William Cullen Bryant's introductory note underscores the urgency of the project as the old city was being swept away. Highly collectible for New York City history, women artists, American printmaking, and architectural preservation. Sold only by subscription and seldom found complete. Satisfaction guaranteed or you can send it back!
