Preserving a Picturesque America

Join us for a presentation on the ongoing project by Preserving a Picturesque America to recreate and preserve the landscapes originally presented in a historic publication from the 1870s.

View of the Schuylkill River from the heights at Belmont, circa 1874.

Chestnut Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River, circa 1874.

Powder Mill on Brandywine Creek, circa 1872.

Picturesque America is a two-volume set, originally published in the 1870s, that describes and illustrates landscapes from across the United States. This publication captured the imagination of many and played a significant role in the formation of American movements in conservation and historic preservation.

Preserving a Picturesque America aims to enlist artists throughout the country to locate the sites featured in this publication, to recreate them, and help in their preservation. You can find out more about them at:

Find out more about Preserving a Picturesque America at:

• preservationthroughart.org
• youtube.com/watch?v=IMS_c7yMjZ8
• youtube.com/watch?v=iMohlGyN8NA

You can also view the original publications via the Internet Archive:

• Volume 1: archive.org/details/picturesqueameri01brya/mode/2up (includes Delaware River Gap and Brandywine Creek)
• Volume 2: archive.org/details/picturesqueameri02brya/mode/2up (includes Philadelphia)

This event will be recorded and made available on our YouTube channel.