Watercolor showing a view of the ruins of the National Theatre built in 1837 at 824-836 Chestnut Street, which was razed by fire on July 5, 1854. Shows partial fragments of the brick walls left standing. A broadside or poster is pasted on a fragment of the brick wall in the center. Bricks and debris are visible on the ground. Partial view of unburnt adjacent building in the left and in the background. The fire also destroyed the neighboring Philadelphia Museum known as the Chinese Museum built circa 1836-1838 after the designs of Isaac Holden at Ninth and Sansom Streets. The museum served as an exhibition space including the display of Nathan Dunn's Chinese artifact collection, and as a concert, public meeting, and lecture space., Title and date from manuscript note on accompanying mount., Manuscript on the note reads "R.H. Wells" but is likely mistaken and probably should read "C.H. Wells" who created many sketches for Charles A. Poulson., Originally part of Poulson scrapbook of illustrations of Philadelphia.
Creator
Wells, C.H., (Charles H.), approximately 1832-1884, artist
Date
March 1857
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *drawings & watercolors - Wells [P.8756.11]
Amusing genre scene depicting three drunk men stumbling arm-in-arm down a city block in front of fenced, wooden scaffolding. The man on the left skips, raises his hat and supports the unconscious man in the middle, who wears a lady's bonnet on his head. The man on the right also supports the bonnet-wearing man while he clings his arm around a lamp post as he holds a long pipe. Playbills and advertisements adorn the wooden fence in front of the scaffolding. The postings promote the National Police Gazette, Wheatley's Arch Street Theatre, Walnut Street Theatre, John Drew's National Theatre, the Academy of Music, and steam boat Edwin Forrest of Trenton Capt. McMakin. An African American coach driver, with a whip in hand, watches the frivolity in the background., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 4, Atwater Kent Museum: 54.8.1, Copy with variant title and imprint ["Three in the Morning," Childs, 63 North 2nd St.] held in the collections of the American Antiquarian Society. AAS copy dated ca. 1863, probably 1860.
Amusing genre scene depicting three drunk men stumbling arm-in-arm down a city block in front of fenced, wooden scaffolding. The man on the left skips, raises his hat and supports the unconscious man in the middle, who wears a lady's bonnet on his head. The man on the right also supports the bonnet-wearing man while he clings his arm around a lamp post as he holds a long pipe. Playbills and advertisements adorn the wooden fence in front of the scaffolding. The postings promote "Dan Rice's Great Show. National Theatre Walnut Street above Eighth March 13, 60 ... English Steeple Chase"; "Wheatley's Arch Street Theatre"; "Academy of Music"; and "Steam Boat Edwin Forrest of Trenton Capt. McMakin." A coach driver, with a whip in hand, watches the frivolity in the background., Date supplied by playbill depicted in image., Philadelphia on Stone, POS 4.2, American Antiquarian Society: Lithf ChilJ Thre, Copy with variant title and imprint ["3 O'clock in the Morning: 3 uhr Morgens," Childs, 152, late 84 Sth 3rd St.] held in the collections of the Atwater Kent Museum. AKM copy copyrighted 1857., See Public Ledger, March 1860 for advertisements for "Dan Rice's Great Show" at the National Theatre.
Date
[ca. 1860]
Location
American Antiquarian Society|a American Antiquarian Society AAS Graphic Arts Lithf ChilJ Thre