Panorama of London from the roof of the Albion Flour Mills
Content Description
This is a small panorama in six panels showing a 360 degree view of London, centred on St. Paul's, seen from across the Thames. Aquatint engraving by Frederick Birnie, based on drawings by Henry Aston Barker, which were used to create the full-size panorama shown in Robert Barker's public panorama in 1792.
Dates
- Creation: 1792
Creator
- Barker, Henry Aston, 1774-1856 (Artist) (Artist, Person)
Language of Materials
English
Condition Description
Most of the sheets cropped close to the edge of the image. Surface and image of the central sheet, showing St. Paul's shows wear and some, possibly restored, damage.
Conditions Governing Access
Open. Please contact the repository in advance.
Biographical / Historical
Henry Aston Barker (1774-1856) was the son of Robert Barker (1739-1806), an Irish artist who invented the concept of "panorama" - a 360 degree view designed to be placed round the inside of a cylinder and viewed from the centre. Robert Barker's first exhibtion was in Edinburgh, but soon after he moved to London, where he showed his large-scale panoramas first in an establishement on Castle Street, and then in a purpose-built building in Leicester Square. This was an immediate success, and when he died in 1806, his son and pupil Henry took over the business in partnership with the artist John Burford.
Extent
6 Sheets ; Each sheet 44 x 56 cm. To be laid end to end to produce image 44 x 330 cm
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchased in May 2023. Accession no. SC-Acc-2023-0111.
Condition Description
Most of the sheets cropped close to the edge of the image. Surface and image of the central sheet, showing St. Paul's shows wear and some, possibly restored, damage.
Processing Information
Catalogued by Aline Brodin and Elizabeth Quarmby Lawrence, using information provided by the seller.
Creator
- Barker, Henry Aston, 1774-1856 (Artist) (Artist, Person)
- Barker, Robert, 1739-1806 (Irish artist) (Artist, Person)
- Birnie, Frederick, fl 1792 (engraver) (Engraver, Person)
- Title
- Panorama of London from the roof of the Albion Flour Mills
- Author
- Aline Brodin
- Date
- September 2023
- Description rules
- Isad(G)2
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
heritagecollections@ed.ac.uk