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1915 Rummell Bird's-Eye View of Richmond College, Virginia
RichmondCollege-rummell-1915$1,200.00
Title
Richmond College Richmond, V.A.
1915 (dated) 15 x 30 in (38.1 x 76.2 cm)
1915 (dated) 15 x 30 in (38.1 x 76.2 cm)
Description
This is Richard Rummell's 1915 bird's-eye view of Richmond College, Virginia - now the University of Richmond. The view illustrates the campus shortly after its 1914 move to Westhampton, while the new campus was still under construction - making it unique among Rummell views in that much of it is presumptive.
In 1914, under the leadership of President Frederic W. Boatwright, Richmond College relocated to a new campus in what is now the Westhampton area of Richmond. This move also saw the establishment of Westhampton College for women. The institution continued to grow and, in 1920, was renamed the University of Richmond. Over the years, the university expanded its academic offerings and facilities, notably with the opening of the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business in 1949 and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies in 1989, enhancing its reputation as a leading liberal arts institution.
A Closer Look
The view looks northeast on the campus from a high point to the southwest. Northampton Lake dominates the center field. The view illustrates the University's six original buildings. Among the more prominent buildings is the old Academic Building at the far right - although now significantly renovated, this building was designed in 1914 by Ralph Adams Cram, a leading architect of the Collegiate Gothic style, to serve as the college library, administrative center, and classroom space. Also of note, in the foreground, is the original Steam Plant, with its tall signature smokestack, which still provides hot water to the campus. Many buildings are hard to identify or slightly off from the current configuration due to this campus being actively under construction as Rummell composed this view.Richmond College
Richmond College, established in 1830 in Richmond, Virginia, initially grew out of the Virginia Baptist Seminary. Its early years saw the institution situated on the grounds of an old mansion named 'Columbia,' which provided a humble setting for its educational activities. The college's operations were significantly impacted by the Civil War, during which it ceased functioning as many students and faculty joined the Confederate forces. After the war, the college faced severe financial difficulties and loss of resources but managed to reopen in 1866 through the support of alumni and the Virginia Baptist Society.In 1914, under the leadership of President Frederic W. Boatwright, Richmond College relocated to a new campus in what is now the Westhampton area of Richmond. This move also saw the establishment of Westhampton College for women. The institution continued to grow and, in 1920, was renamed the University of Richmond. Over the years, the university expanded its academic offerings and facilities, notably with the opening of the E. Claiborne Robins School of Business in 1949 and the Jepson School of Leadership Studies in 1989, enhancing its reputation as a leading liberal arts institution.
Rummell University Views
Rummell was an American landscape artist known for his drawings of American universities. At the turn of the century, Littig and Company commissioned Rummell to prepare watercolors of some of the nation's most prestigious colleges. From these watercolors, copperplates were engraved, and a limited number of engravings were issued. Most of Rummell's university views are strikingly similar in style, revealing the entire campus in panoramic splendor. The views are uniformly issued from an altitude of about 300 feet, suggesting the Rummell most likely worked from a balloon.Publication History and Census
This view was drawn by Richard Rummell in 1915 and published by W. T. Litting and Company of Brooklyn, New York. This is one of Rummell's scarcer university views and rarely appears on the market.CartographerS
Richard W. Rummell (1848 – June 4, 1924) was an American artist active in Brooklyn during the late 19th and early 20th century. Rummell was born in Canada, the son of German immigrant Frank X. Rummell and his wife Eliza Rummell. He immigrated to the United States as a youth settling with his parents in Buffalo. He relocated to Brooklyn when he was in his mid-30s, setting up an illustration office at 258 Broadway in Manhattan. Rummell is best known for his series of views of American colleges completed around the turn of the century. Since Rummell's views universally appear to be drawn from an altitude of about 300 feet, it has been speculated by many art historians that he worked from a balloon. Rummell was also a bit of a futurist and among his more interesting works are a series of speculative images of the New York of tomorrow, with vast airships, trains running over the tops of skyscrapers, and elegant sky bridges. In the 1950s, the original printer's plates for many of Rummell's university views were rediscovered in a Brooklyn warehouse. Rummell's Brooklyn home was located at 45 Bay 28th Street and later 73 Hanson Place. In addition to his work as a visual artist, he was an accomplished actor and an avid yachtsman. He founding member of the Bensonhurst Yacht Club, where his yacht, the Careless was usually docked. He was also a member of the Royal Arcanum fraternal order. Rummell was survived by his wife, Emmeline Rummell, daughter, Chrissie Atkinson, and two sons, John Tribel Rummell, and Richard Rummell Jr., who became a famous Florida architect. More by this mapmaker...
W. T. Littig (fl. c. 1900 - 1930) was New York printer and publisher active in the early 20th century. Littig is most commonly associated with Richard Rummell, from whom he commissioned numerous university and college views. He is otherwise extremely elusive and little is known about his person or career. Learn More...
Condition
Very good.