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Details



Print
118293
  • Title
    Item 14: Plates for James Wallis Australian Views / Historical Account of the colony of New South Wales, 1817-1819
  • Creator
  • Call number
    PXD 373
  • Level of description
    file
  • Date

    1817-1819
  • Type of material
  • Reference code
    118293
  • Issue Copy
    Digitised
  • Physical Description
    Prints - 20 line engravings with etching
  • Scope and Content
    These engravings were made in Australia under the direction of Captain James Wallis, of the 46th Regiment. They were first advertised in the Sydney Gazette of 9 January 1819 as a "Series of original Views of New South Wales". When Wallis returned to England in February 1819 he took the plates with him, where the set was published in London in September 1820 as "Australian Views" (without a letterpress) & in 1821 as "An historical account of the colony of New South Wales.." (with a letterpress) by R. Ackermann. These English sets can be distinguished by Ackermann's imprint which was engraved at the bottom of each plate.
    This set of engravings appears to have been printed entirely in Australia, and were probably given to the Macquaries by Wallis. PXD 373/15 is inscribed to Mrs Macquarie and is dated December 1817. This set includes an early state (before letters) of "View of Hunters River.." (PXD 373/10) and a small view of Newcastle "View of Newcastle." (PXD 373/19 & 20), which was not used in the London edition (another copy of this plate is at MRB/F981/W copy 2 : ML Printed Books collection).

    Folio 01: A View of Hawkesbury, and the Blue Mountains. / New South Wales.
    Folio 02: A View of the Cove and Part of Sydney. New South Wales. / Taken from Dawe's Battery
    Folio 03: A View of the Cove and Part of Sydney. New South Wales. / Taken from Dawe's Battery
    Folio 04: Sydney. / from the North Shore / New South Wales
    Folio 05: Sydney. / from Bennelongs Point. / New South Wales.
    Folio 06: Newcastle. / Hunter's River. / New South Wales.
    Folio 07: Corrobborree / Or Dance of the Natives of New South Wales. / New Holland.
    Folio 08: Black Swans. / of / New South Wales.
    Folio 09: Kangaroos, / of / New South Wales.
    Folio 10: View of Hunters river Newcastle
    Folio 11: View of Hunter's River. Newcastle. New South Wales.
    Folio 12: View of Hunter's River. Newcastle. New South Wales.
    Folio 13: North and South Head's in Port Jackson. / New South Wales.
    Folio 14: North and South Head's in Port Jackson. / New South Wales.
    Folio 15: Vaucluse Bay. Port Jackson. / New South Wales.
    Folio 16: Vaucluse Bay. Port Jackson. / New South Wales.
    Folio 17: A view of Dawe's Point at the Entrance of Sydney Cove. / New South Wales.
    Folio 18: A view of Dawe's Point at the Entrance of Sydney Cove. / New South Wales.
    Folio 19: [View of Newcastle. New South Wales.]
    Folio 20: View of Newcastle. New South Wales.
  • System of arrangement
    Each plate has been separately catalogued - please navigate to the individual records from this record
  • Copying Conditions
    Out of copyright: Artist died before 1955
    Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales
  • General note

    The Newcastle plates show a completed Christ's Church, which was finished in August 1818. However one drawing, "Vaulcuse Bay, Port Jackson" PXD 373/15, is inscribed December 1817, and "View of Sydney from the North Shore", PXD 373/4, shows Bennelong Point prior to the beginning of the construction Fort Macquarie, which was commenced in December 1817.
    For notes on the Library's copies of these engravings see ML MSS Aw 112
    It is not possible to conclusively determine the artist of the views. Although Wallis claims to have made the original drawings in the imprint of many of the engravings, the six large plates (PXD 373/1-7) bear strong simialarities to the style of Joseph Lycett who is known to have worked for Wallis while they were both at Newcastle. The six small plates are less stylistically distinctive, and in inscriptions on the reverse of PXD 373/10 & 19 Wallis is said to be the artist of the original drawings. It is possible that Lycett was responsible for the six large plates and Wallis the six small. For references to the attribution question see Lycett and Wallis entries in Joan Kerr, Dictionary of Australian artists 1770-1870, 1992 : REF 1/Q709.94/87 Mitchell Library
    Digital order no:Album ID : 823526
  • Signatures / Inscriptions

    4 of the engravings (no.'s 10, 15, 17 & 19) ) are inscribed in a contemporary hand, probably James Wallis's; most have titles printed beneath image
  • Topic
  • Exhibited in

    A Rage for Curiosity - State Library of New South Wales (1 September, 1997 - 11 January, 1998). Applies to: PXD 373/2 & 7
  • Open Rosetta viewer

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