William H. Bartlett

Born in England, William H. Bartlett (1809 – 1854) was apprenticed at the aged of thirteen and first made his name as an illustrator with drawings of Swiss scenes. In 1836 he was engaged by the London publisher George Virtue to travel to the USA and provide sketches for the publication of American Scenery issued in January 1840. He traveled through New England, the Hudson Valley, Niagara, and south to Washington and the Natural Bridge in Virginia. So that his views could be accurately engraved his finely detailed drawings were made to the same scale as the engraving. His charming landscape and city views, often incorporating people and animals into the landscape, retained their popularity through the century and were used in publications as late as the 1880s.