Lot 574
After Thomas Stent (1822-1912) and August Laver (1834-1898)
Lot 574 Details
After Thomas Stent (1822-1912) and August Laver (1834-1898), American/Canadian
CITY OF OTTAWA, CANADA WEST, CIRCA 1859
handcoloured lithograph with letters by Sarony, Major & Knapp Lithographers, Broadway, New York after a drawing by Stent and Laver, Architects & C. Ottawa C.W. Published by Stent & Laver, circa 1859, with further letters “Copy Right secured in Canada and the United States” to margin
Image sight 22.5" x 36.75" — 57.2 x 93.3 cm.
Estimate $1,800-$2,200
Additional Images
Provenance:
Prominent Collection, Canada
Note:
A bird’s-eye view of Ottawa, some of Hull and of the Ottawa River circa 1859, including views of the Chaudière Falls and of Parliament Hill (formerly Barrack Hill) prior to the construction of the Parliament Buildings. The watercourse that was followed by the cribs of squared timbers that skirted the Chaudière Falls by going through Ruggles Wright’s timber slide is also depicted.
The story of how and why Ottawa came to be the nation’s capital goes far beyond the time-old story of Queen Victoria closing her eyes and randomly sticking a hat pin onto a map of Canada, choosing a small, dirty logging town to be the prestigious seat of Parliament for years to come. In 1857 when the decision was made, the major cities of Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City were all vying for the title. While a small industrial settlement at the time, Ottawa was conveniently situated between French and English populations and was far enough away from the border of the United States, where tensions were still running high after the war of 1812. It was thus a relatively protected body of land that had a newly constructed canal system, a flourishing timber trade and a diverse settlement history.