January 9, 1941
“Views of Brooklyn and Long Island” in 19th Century hand-colored lithographic prints opens today (Thursday, January 9) as an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, arranged by the Print Department, to continue through March 2. Forty prints will be shown, six particularly rare ones recently acquired by the Museum, nine from the Museum’s Library material and now in the Print Department, the balance lent by The Old Print Shop.
This is an appropriate event for Brooklyn, as most of the early lithographers’ offices were in Brooklyn. Prints of the first group are the nucleus of a permanent collection of borough and Long Island subjects the Museum is beginning to assemble, and in the second group are illustrations of the ‘60's and ‘70's taken from the imposing Manuals of the Common Council of the City Brooklyn.
Two of the rarest items are “Bloemen Heuvel, Flatbush” by G. Hayward, showing the residence of J.A. Willenk, and “Atlantic Avenue, Drive and Promenade,” showing tree planting to form three lanes, early city improvement and planning that has not yet come about. Other items are “College Point, near Flushing” by Endicott, showing the World’s Fair site several decades ago; “City Hall of Brooklyn, 1850” and “Hospital of Brooklyn” by C. Autenrieth; and “Pierpont’s Distillery on Long Island” by L. Sabatier, later issued with the caption “Pierpont’s Estate.”
Brooklyn Museum Archives. Records of the Department of Public Information. Press releases, 1939 - 1941. 01-03/1941, 003. View Original
