Allegorical genre scene showing an intemperate and temperate family in front of a tree on the banks of the Schuylkill River. In the left of the image, a man dressed in ragged clothing leads his somberly-dressed wife and barefoot sleepy child from a dilapidated tavern down a weed strewn path. At the tavern, men drink, cajole and are passed out on the porch underneath the tavern sign adorned with the image of a pig. Pigs laze and eat from a trough beside the drinking establishment. In the right of the image, a well-dressed couple watches their child pick flowers into a basket as others picnic on the grass in the background. In the distance, the Fairmount Waterworks is visible. Also shows the half of the tree on the intemperate side dead and leafless while the other half on the temperate side is full of foliage., Not in Wainwright., Name of printer partially crossed out and deduced by cataloger., Manuscript note pasted on verso: The original sketch of this picture was made by Thomas Birch, about the year 1826. His daughter Mrs. Veacock, now (Aug. 1891) living at the age of 83 years remembers seeing her father working at the drawing. This copy was found in her garret where it had been for many years., Label pasted on verso: Presented to the Historical Society of Pa. by A. R. Thomas, M.D., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 443, Revised August 2018 based on copy at American Antiquarian Society, Lithf Chil Birc Look. Originally recorded Childs & Lehman as printer with ca. 1834 as the publication date., Historical Society of Pennsylvania: Bb 61 B 617, Inscribed in verso: Taken off the wall, 1940.
Creator
Rider, Alexander, artist
Date
[ca. 1832]
Location
Historical Society of Pennsylvania HSP Bb 61 B 617
