Pennsylvania Prints

This selection of prints showing Pennsylvania town views and landscapes, portraits, political and military scenes, disasters and famous events, is a charming and valuable record of our past. Prints of town views and local scenes were very popular throughout the nineteenth century, with numerous views of some cities published by competing firms in what was a flourishing commercial activity. This selection of 83 excellent reproductions includes examples ranging from an early 1757 view of Bethlehem to a view of Pittsburgh printed in 1902.

The prints and commentary show the changing styles used from the early straightforward views, to composite views including the major buildings of a town, to the elaborate cartographic projections and bird's-eye views of the later prints. Print processes are described as well as the methods used by the artists who prepared these detailed scenes. The active publishing firms are identified, including the prolific firm of Fowler and Moyer that issues over 170 Pennsylvania town prints. Individual artists are credited where possible, and a guide to the terms used on old prints provides a key to reading these credits.

The O'Connor and Yeager Collection has grown through more than thirty years to include over 300 items, and is one of the most comprehensive collections of Pennsylvania town views. The collection has long been a popular feature of the Tavern Restaurant in State College, where it has been displayed in lively and entertaining profusion.