Astor House (New-York)
New York: MEYER, Herrmann Julius, c. 1855
Size (neatline): 15.9 x 11.0 cm / 6.3 x 4.3 in
Size (sheet): 23.5 x 15.4 cm / 9.3 x 6.1 in
Technique: Steel engraving
Colour: Uncoloured
Verso: Blank
Condition: Very good
Beautiful view of the historical Astor House, New York
Description
This elegant steel engraving from the U.S. edition of Meyer’s Universum depicts the Astor House, New York – a luxury hotel which opened in 1836 as the Park Hotel. The building stood at the location of the present-day Astor Building and adjacent Transportation Building, on the corner of Broadway and Vesey Street, at the southernmost tip of the Tribeca and Civic Center neighbourhoods of Lower Manhattan.
At its peak, the Astor House was the best-known and most prestigious hotel in the United States, with its international reputation attracting many distinguished and famous guests, such as Abraham Lincoln, who stayed there in February 1861 on the way to his inauguration.
The hotel was also used as a shelter during the Great Blizzard of 1888 and was the site of the foundation of the United States Soccer Federation in 1913.
The Astor House saw its decline in the later part of the 19th century, before being gradually demolished and replaced by the current buildings in the early 20th century.
The engraver of this view is not indicated. However, based on his other work for the same publication, we believe this to be J.[ohann Gabriel Friedrich?] Poppel.
A lovely look back in time, at a site of past New York glamour.
Publication
Meyer’s Universum [c. 1855]
Condition
Very good.
A few faint spots in right half. Minor creasing in bottom left corner, contained to margin.
Reference
Astor House. (2025, March 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astor_House
Item #: 01448
US $125.00
Status: On Hold