'Hobart Town from The New Town Road', Scarce color lithograph from 'Tasmania Illustrated'.
Hobart: T. Bluett, 1846. Original lithograph with period hand color, from the rare folio 'Tasmania Illustrated' by John Skinner Prout (1806 - 1876). This is a lovely color view of Hobart, with the new road (really a pretty country lane), moving diagonally from left to right, past a few large buildings, into the town, with the cathedral and the blue bay in the distance. A young woman and small child are seated on a large rock in the foreground, and Mt. Wellington is at the far right. Signed by the artist at the lower center, slightly to the right, within the image, 'J. S. Prout'.
In the 1820s trade blossomed, with Hobart becoming a major wool trade port. Shops were established and fine Georgian sandstone buildings went up, such as the Presbyterian church (1824), Salamanca Place warehouses (1830s), the Theatre Royal (1837) and elegant private homes such as Narryna (1828). The Hobart Hebrew Congregation Synagogue was consecrated in 1845; it is the oldest synagogue building in Australia, built in the unusual Egyptian Revival style. Also in 1845, the first known Australian exhibition of pictures, arranged by John Skinner Prout, took place in Hobart.
Unnumbered, but plate [6] of the period hand-colored version of the print. It also appeared in a sepia edition highlighted in white; this is not the sepia edition.) Paper size: 17 1/2 x 14 1/4", image: 15 1/2 x 11 1/2". A bit sunned, lower left corner tear repaired, a few small chips at top edge, but only at the very top of the wide margin. [Trove 6942163 is the sepia version of the print; the color version available only as an electronic image, which is at the State Library of Tasmania. OCLC: 782357449 cites the copy at the State Library of Tasmania. See Ferguson 3892 & 3893 for the book. Very good overall. Item #21136
Price: $2,500.00