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Title: Van Brant's [sic] place on the Delaware River
Description: View, probably an artist's study for "Birch's Country Seats," depicting the Bucks County estate China Retreat, near the Delaware River , built in 1796 by former Resident Director of the East India Company in China, André Everadus Van Braam-Houckgeest. Sold by Van Braam in 1798, the estate passed through several owners, including Gabriel Manigault in 1807, and at various times housed Bristol College, a boarding house, and an orphan asylum for African American children. The mansion, the estate grounds severly diminished, was demolished in the mid 20th century. View includes cows drinking on the banks of the river and two men paddling a boat., Title from manuscript note on verso., Accompanied by scrap inscribed with manuscript note: Van Braam's Delaware River nearly opposite to Burlington. Afterward Penna Cottage., See William Snyder's "William Birch: His Country Seats of the United States" The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 81 (July 1957), p. 225-254., Originally part of a Poulson scrapbook.
Creator: Birch, William Russell, 1755-1834, artist
Date: [ca. 1808]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department drawings & watercolors - Birch - Van Braam's China Retreat [P.8759.2]

Title: View from Springland Cot, Na Shaminy [sic]
Description: Study for the plate, "The View from Springland," published in Birch's "Country Seats of the United States," showing the gated lush grounds of Springland, William Birch's Pennsylvania country home near Neshaminy Creek in Bucks County from 1798 to 1818. Birch sold the property in 1805, continue to dwell on the grounds, and repurchased the estate in 1813. View includes an abandoned bridge and abandoned toll house. The toll house puportedly converted by Birch into his studio., Bequest of Charles Poulson, 1866., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited., See Martin Snyder's "William Birch: His Country Seats of the United States" The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 81 (July 1957), p. 225-254., Originally part of a Poulson scrapbook., Reproduced in Julius Sachse's Pictures of old Philadelphia from the originals in the collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, 1901), vol. 1, plate 48. (LCP Print Room Albums).
Creator: Birch, William Russell, 1755-1834, artist
Date: [ca. 1808]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department drawings & watercolors - Birch - Springland Cot [P.8759.3]

Title: [Andalusia]
Description: View, probably created as a study intended for later publication in the artist's "Country Seats," showing the Bucks County estate on the Delaware River originally purchased in 1795 by Philadelphia merchant John Craig, procured around 1814 by his son-in-law Nicholas Biddle. Originally named Craig's Hall, the federal-style mansion was renovated and altered from 1797-1798; 1806-1808 (by Benjamin Henry Latrobe); and 1836-1838 (by Thomas U. Walter). Depicts a sideview, shortly after the Latrobe alterations, of the front elevation of the mansion and the grounds of the estate, including a small summer house. Three women convene on the covered porch. Also includes a view of sailboats on the river., Title supplied by cataloguer., Retrospective conversion record: original entry, edited., See William Snyder's "William Birch: His Country Seats of the United States" The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 81 (July 1957), p. 225-254., Described in Nicholas B. Wainwright's "Andalusia countryseat of the Craig Family and of Nicholas Biddle and his descendants" The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 101 (January 1977), p. 27., Reproduced in Julius Sachse's Pictures of old Philadelphia from the originals in the collection of the Library Company of Philadelphia (Philadelphia, 1901), vol. 1, plate 47. (LCP Print Room Albums)
Creator: Birch, William Russell, 1755-1834, artist
Date: [ca. 1808]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department drawings & watercolors - Birch - Andalusia [P.9665]

Title: Bridge over the Schuylkill at Philadelphia
Description: View of the Schuylkill Permanent Bridge built after the designs of Timothy Palmer and completed in 1805 at Market Street over the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. Shows the stone, covered bridge spanning the Schuylkill River. Trees are visible along the river bank. The bridge was redesigned in 1850 by the Pennsylvania Railroad and destroyed by fire in 1875., Title and date from item., Signed and dated by the artist in lower right corner., Manuscript written in top left corner on recto: 32., Gift of David Doret and Linda G. Mitchell, 2022., William Constable (1783-1861) learned to draw as an apprentice in an engineering firm in Lewes, England. He traveled to the United States in 1806 and began taking painting lessons. He and his brother Daniel traveled America sketching and making watercolors. He returned to England in 1808.
Creator: Constable, William, 1783-1861, artist
Date: Sept. 12, 1807
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department *Doret and Mitchell Collection – Drawings & Watercolors [P.2022.62.3.10]

Title: The view from Springland Cot
Description: Depicts the Neshaminy Creek and lush grounds near William Birch's estate in Bucks County. View includes a woman standing near a potted tree, an abandoned bridge, and the abandoned toll house converted by Birch into his studio. Birch resided at the estate from 1798 to 1818. Birch sold the property in 1805, continue to dwell on the grounds, and repurchased the estate in 1813., Title from item., Date inferred from 1809 publication date of plate after drawing., Published as title page to first edition, later subtitle plate in The country seats of the United States of North America, with some scenes connected with them., Gift of David Doret and Linda G. Mitchell., Lib. Company. Annual Report, 2019, p. 88-89.
Creator: Birch, William Russell, 1755-1834, artist
Date: [ca. 1808]
Location: Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Doret and Mitchell Collection - Drawings & Watercolors [P.2019.4]

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