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SINCLAIR, THOMAS S. (ca. 1805-1881)
Panoramic View From the Summit of Santa Lucia, Santiago
Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1856. Hand-coloured lithograph. Drawn from camera sketches by E.R. Smith and lithographed by T. Sinclair's Lithography, Philadelphia. Very good condition apart from some mild creasing and a few skillfully repaired small tears and losses in the right margin. Image size (including text): 67 1/2 x 9 1/4 inches. Sheet size: 69 3/4 x 11 3/8 inches.
A breathtaking panoramic view of Chile's capital city from the first volume of James Melville Gilliss's landmark publication, 'The U.S. Naval Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere, During the Years 1849-'50-'51-'52'.
Five years after founding the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. in 1844, the eminent astronomer and naval officer James Melville Gilliss (1811-1865) embarked on a mission to South America to carry out a series of observations concerning measurements of the solar parallax. Commissioned by the Secretary of the U.S. Navy, the voyage was intended as a purely scientific expedition; however, during its course, Gilliss also made copious notes on the natural history, geography and politics of the rural and metropolitan areas he visited in Argentina and Chile. Upon returning to the United States, he published his findings and an abundance of accompanying illustrations as The U.S. Naval Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere. While the third and fourth volumes of this important work are comprised of detailed astronomical observations, the first volume is dedicated to describing the various aspects of Chile, where Gilliss established an observatory on the hill of Santa Lucia in Santiago in 1849.
Trained in Edinburgh, Scotland, the prolific and talented lithographer Thomas S. Sinclair (ca. 1805-1881) established his prosperous lithography firm in Philadelphia in 1838. He was specifically renowned for his early innovative use of colour lithography, for which he was awarded a medal at the 1848 Franklin Institute's exhibition, and this beautiful partly coloured plate of Santiago is a testament to his mastery of the technique.
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#12310 $1,200.00 
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© 2002-2005 Donald A. Heald
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