1855 Goth / Poppel Views of Boston, Massachusetts

A rare and lovely set of views and vignettes of Boston, engraved by Johann Poppel, printed by Charles D. Andrews, and published by Fr. Goth around the year 1855. It reflects the changing face of the city, as older buildings were being demolished or replaced to make way for more modern structures, including rail stations.

A Closer Look

This intricately engraved and hand-colored sheet takes in 13 views and vignettes of mid-19th century Boston. At center is a view of Boston across Boston Harbor, likely from South Boston. Among other features, the view is notable for what appears to be an African American crew building a ship in the foreground. Surrounding this central image are a series of views which depict (clockwise from top-left): the Park St. Church, the State House, the Fitchburg Railroad Depot (opened 1842 on Causeway St.), the Bunker Hill Monument, the Boston and Maine Railroad Depot (opened 1845 at Haymarket Square), Revere House (a luxury hotel, not to be confused with the home of Paul Revere), Hancock House (owned by John Hancock of Declaration of Independence fame), Boston Common, City Hall (the Old Court House on School St.), the Customs House, the Old State House, and Tremont Row (a bustling commercial street near the State House and Boston Common). Many of the structures seen here were torn down and replaced in the following decades or destroyed by fire in the early 20th century.

The title text being printed in French, German, and English, along with the vague guarantee of 'copy right secured,' suggest that this sheet was meant to be sold in multiple markets. The American copyright is noted with a letterpress stamp at bottom-right, indicating that this example was sold in the United States.

Publication History and Census

This view was designed and published by Fr. (likely Frederick) Goth, engraved by Johann Poppel, and published by Charles D. Andrews in Boston, reflecting an interesting trans-Atlantic production arrangement. It is undated, but the presence of the rail depots indicates a date of 1850 or later, while the lack of Boston's French-style City Hall, built in 1862 on the site of the building marked here as City Hall, suggests a date before that time. The only known institutional holding of this work is an uncolored example in the collections of Historic New England. A variant printing by A. Trochsler is held by the Boston Athenaeum and dated c. 1859.