PARIS France * PANORAMIC VIEW OF CITY From A Rooftop * 1870 Engraving (original)

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Historic 19th Century Engraving * * * * * Paris from the Rooftops * * * * * Panoramic View of the City ***** This is a great antique wood engraving, printed in the year 1870. It shows several men on a rooftop observing events in the distance and watching a balloon high above, while below them stretches the walls of the "City of Light." This is a large and very dramatic image, measuring almost two feet wide ( 22-inches-by-16-inches, including margins, to be exact), and it will make a great display piece. This very historic image represents a sad era in the history of Paris, dating back to the Franco-Prussian War. The Siege of Paris lasted from September 19, 1870 to January 28, 1871, and the Prussian victory led to the German Empire and it planted the seeds for the First World War. It was during the time that Paris was cut off from the outside world that balloons saw great use. On the back of this engraving is a narrative explaining the events transpiring when this image was created. However, it leaves out some facts, including that the artist in question was Englishman Sydney Hall (1842-1922), who had earlier been making sketches and was arrested by a Prussian soldier who thought him up to no good. After his release, he was allowed to make a sketch of Paris as seen from a rooftop in the area. The artist’s notes indicated: "Gunboats are firing on Bellevue; a broken pontoon bridge to the left; Hotel des Invalides in the centre; towers of Notre Dame just seen to the right; Monmarte in the distance; trains passing over railroad bridge; balloon, from which Parisian papers were obtained, in the air" Airmail is supposed to have originated during this siege in which Paris was completely surrounded by the Prussians. French aeronauts suggested the use of balloons to communicate with the outside world and on September 23, 1870, balloonist Jules Durouf braved enemy artillery fire and flew from the Place St. Pierre in the Montmatre quarter of Paris with 227 pounds of mail. Three hours later he landed safely on the other side of enemy lines at the Chateau de Craconville. Another major balloon episode involved Leon Gambetta, the lawyer who, when Napoleon's empire fell, organized a government to pursue national defense. With Paris under German siege, Gambetta made a daring balloon escape to Tours, where he continued to coordinate fighting against the Germans. Altogether, there were a total of 66 balloons that left Paris during the siege, with 58 landing safely. These balloons transported 102 people, as well as more than 500 pigeons and five dogs for carrying messages. They also carried more than two million pieces of mail. A very historic – and very displayable – relic of nineteenth century Paris, this will make a very nice display piece and it will look great framed! This image is referred to as a "wood engraving" because the plate it was printed from was made from an engraved block of wood - as opposed to, for example, a "steel engraving" or a "copper engraving" (which were printed from directly engraved metal plates). The item being offered in this auction is a wood engraving printed in harper's Weekly almost a century and a half ago, and it is in excellent condition, highly displayable, and READY FOR FRAMING! This engraving is an ORIGINAL PRINT – IT IS GENUINE, NOT A REPRINT OR "REPRO" OF ANY SORT! It was printed 142 years ago and is guaranteed to be authentic, and not a later reprint or any other type of reproduction! A BRIEF HISTORY OF WOOD ENGRAVINGS This great antique wood engraving was produced during the decades when the British and American illustrated journals employed the very best artists and engravers their nations had to offer. To create a wood engraving, the artist would first draw his illustration on the surface of a very hard block of wood. Then the engravers went to work, carving into the wood... read more

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