New Zealand. Wellington Post-Office from the Harbour. Engraving c1888.

$140.00

Antique Print of Wellington Post Office, with shipping c1888.

Original wood engraving circa 1888 (with later fine hand-colour), engraved after a drawing by Julian Rossi Ashton (1851-1942) for Picturesque Atlas of Australasia which was published in Sydney between 1886 and 1888 to commemorate 100 years since the First Fleet settlement in Australia at Port Jackson in 1788. The Picturesque Atlas of Australasia provides a wonderful overview of the region, and life in colonial days. It was not an Atlas is the usual sense of the word, although 30 maps were included, of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Oceania, explorers’ voyages, and additional maps of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, showing the counties, rainfalls, roads, railways and telegraph connections. Geographical draughtsmen and cartographic engravers compiled maps of each state and the adjacent regions, and supervised their production.

Leading artists such as J.R. Ashton were commissioned to illustrate the discovery, settlement and development of Australia and New Zealand, in particular. Frederick Schell was appointed Art Director to compile illustrations for the publication. Over 700 engravings were carved (in reverse) from drawings and sketches. Most of the engravings were carved from wood, but some finer portraits combined the skilled art of mezzotint with steel engraving. Some engraved views featured a lithographic border composed of Australian flora. The illustrations were some of the finest engravings produced anywhere in the world in the late 19th century. There were 800 pages in all, and the majority of the engravings appeared within pages of text, that were issued in 42 separate Parts stapled into paper covers.

Page size was 45cm x 34cm (17.5 x 13.5 inches). The historic illustrations have always been highly regarded, collected, coloured, and framed for hanging on the wall. The size of this image is 7 x 7 inches or 18 x 18cm. This engraving is part of a whole page.