View of the Water Gap and Columbia Glass Works - River Delaware

Artist Thomas Birch

Periodca. 1815 - 1820

MediumAquatint and engraving, with color added

Dimensions15.3 × 21 in. (38.9 × 53.3 cm)

InscribedInscribed lower center, "View of the Water Gap and Columbia Glass Works - River Delaware."

SignedSigned lower left, "T. Birch, pinx." Also signed lower right, "Strickland sc."

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineGift of Miss Mildred Enright, 1958

Object number2007.528

DescriptionA river view with a durham boat containing five boatman in the foreground, a second durham boat in the distance, a village on the opposite bank with an industrial building to its right, and a gap in the mountains in the distance. Two tree stumps are depicted in the foreground, as well as a figure on the left bank fishing, all under a partly cloudy sky.
Curatorial RemarksWilliam Stickland (1787 - 1854) of Philadephia engraved this view perhaps as early as 1817 from a watercolor by artist Thomas Birch (1779 - 1851). Strickland, born in Navesink, Monmouth County, pursued a successful career in architecture after two years of apprenticeship to Benjamin Henry Latrobe. But to provide income during his beginning years, he took up the trade of aquatint engraving. Birch's reputation as an artist had been established since he worked with his father, William, on Views of the City of Philadelphia first published in 1800. Strickland had also produced aquatinted plates after Birch's scenes of battles of the War of 1812, an association that probably led to their collaboration on this view of the Delaware Water Gap and Columbia Glassworks. Strickland apparently worked from Birch's survivng watercolor of this subject (Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library accession number 1959.0040.006). But then the engraver was left to fill in much of the surrounding landscape as Birch concentrated on the middle ground. After detailing the factory and gorge through the mountains, the artist only roughly sketched in other features. So the appearance of the finished scene is as much from Strickland's creative eye as it is from Birch's hand.NotesAn iconic early view of Columbia, Knowlton Township, Warren County, with the Columbia Glass Works depicted to the right of the village and the Delaware Water Gap in the distance. In 1812, Francis Meyerhoff started the glassworks operation in Columbia, having laid out the village and employed a group of German workers. He operated the business until 1825, when it failed. Having been sold for unpaid debts, the business continued under different ownership until 1833. After reorganization, it was incorporated as another glassmaking venture. The works produced standard window glass and bottles.

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