Suez Egyptian Desert Camels Ancient Canal 1840 السويس‎

This is a fine antique engraving titled "Suez, From the Mounds of the Ancient Canal." published in a collection of topographical views of the Middle East and dating from the 1840's.  It is in excellent condition and was engraved from an original drawing by William Bartlett.

An exquisite antique print!

Suez (Arabic: السويس‎ as-Suways) is a seaport town (population ca. 497,000) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has two harbors, Port Ibrahim and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities. Together they form a metropolitan area. Railway lines and highways connect the city with Cairo and Port Said. Suez has a petrochemical plant, and its oil refineries have pipelines carrying the finished product to Cairo.

Suez is a way station for Muslim pilgrims travelling to and from Mecca.

****************************************

William Henry Bartlett (born March 26, 1809 – September 13, 1854) was a British artist, best known for his numerous steel engravings.

Bartlett was born in Kentish Town, London in 1809. He was apprenticed to John Britton (1771-1857), and became one of the foremost illustrators of topography of his generation. He travelled throughout Britain, and in the mid and late 1840s he travelled extensively in the Balkans and the Middle East. He made four visits to the United States between 1835 and 1852.

In 1835, Bartlett first visited the United States in order to draw the buildings, towns and scenery of the northeastern states. The finely detailed steel engravings Bartlett produced were published uncolored with a text by Nathaniel Parker Willis as American Scenery; or Land, Lake, and River: Illustrations of Transatlantic Nature. American Scenery was published by George Virtue in London in 30 monthly installments from 1837 to 1839. Bound editions of the work were published from 1840 onward.  His impressions of Canada were collected in Canadian Scenery in 1842.

Bartlett made sepia wash drawings the exact size to be engraved. His engraved views were widely copied by artists, but no signed oil painting by his hand is known. Engravings based on Bartlett's views were later used in his posthumous History of the United States of North America, continued by B. B. Woodward and published around 1856.

William Henry Bartlett died of fever on board of a French ship off the coast of Malta returning from his last trip to the Near East, in 1854.

Source:  Wikipedia

The print has been cleaned and is free of age toning and foxing spots.

The engraving size is approx. 5 by 8 inches, and the overall size, including margins, is approx. 8.50 by 10.50 inches. This is not a modern reproduction or reprint. This is a vintage engraving, over 160 years old, and guaranteed to be as described.

Steel Engraving: A print produced by carving the lines of an image into a metal plate (copper or steel) with a tool called a burin. The lines produced by the carving are inked, and a dampened sheet of paper is pressed on to the plate. The ink is transferred to the paper producing the image. This type of printing was introduced in the 15th century and is a form of intaglio printing.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON 19TH CENTURY PRINTS, PRINT MAKING, AND THE TERMINOLOGY USED IN OUR AUCTIONS.

   Thanks! We appreciate your business! 

When matted and framed these antique prints make very fine gifts! We can mail these directly to a third party if you wish.

In response to inquiries we have recieved, please note; the terms used in our auctions, engraving, steel engraving, woodcut, lithograph, and photogravure refers to a PRINT, ie. an image on paper. Your satisfaction is guaranteed. The prints may be returned to us at any time for a full refund including postage