Books and Manuscripts

London: John Boydell, June 12, 1775. Hand-colored engraving; engraved by John Hall after the painting by Benjamin West. 20 3/16 x 26 5/8 in. (513 x 676 mm). Laid down on heavy paper; 7 1/2 in. repaired closed tear vertically traversing right side; repairs and repaired closed tears along top edge; soiling and toning in margins; faint tape residue in imprint at bottom right; mat burn; slight darkening in top right of image. In mat and in frame, 27 3/8 x 32 in. (695 x 813 mm).

A scarce engraving of an iconic image, depicting William Penn entering into the Treaty of Shackamaxon with the Lenni Lenape people, considered one "of the best-known prints of a Philadelphia scene" (Snyder, City of Independence, p. 252). To help bolster the reputation of the Penn family, William Penn's son Thomas (1702-75) commissioned Benjamin West to create his allegorical painting, which John Boydell based his print on.