Joseph Meyer and Hermann Meyer, Salt Lake City Mormon Settlement, 1850, Steel Engraving

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Antique Salt Lake City Mormon Settlement View, Utah, Meyer ca. 1850 This finely engraved 19th-century view depicts early Salt Lake … Read more Antique Salt Lake City Mormon Settlement View, Utah, Meyer ca. 1850 This finely engraved 19th-century view depicts early Salt Lake City, identified beneath the image as “die Mormonen-Stadt” (the Mormon City), during the formative years of the settlement in the Utah Territory. Published by the renowned German publishing house of Joseph Meyer and Hermann Meyer, the engraving captures the city dramatically positioned beneath the Wasatch Range, with cultivated farmland, grazing cattle, and the waters of the Great Salt Lake extending into the distance. The print appeared in Die Fünf Welttheile dargestellt in Bild & Wort, issued by the Bibliographischen Institut in Hildburghausen around 1850. This respected German publishing house became internationally known through Meyer’s Universum, an ambitious illustrated geographical series introducing European audiences to landscapes, cities, and cultures from around the globe. Joseph Meyer later expanded his business into the United States through his son Hermann Meyer, who established a New York branch and produced illustrated works devoted to America. The view is particularly appealing for its combination of documentary topographical detail and romantic landscape engraving. It presents Salt Lake City only a few years after the Mormon pioneers under Brigham Young established the settlement in 1847. The engraving reflects the isolated but rapidly developing frontier city surrounded by the rugged mountains of northern Utah. The fertile valley, irrigation fields, and broad lake setting emphasize the transformation of the region into an organized agricultural community. Important geographical references connected to this engraving include Salt Lake City, Great Salt Lake, Utah Territory, Wasatch Mountains, Mormon Trail, Temple Square, Brigham Young, Great Basin, Rocky Mountains, Ogden, Provo, Deseret, and the early Mormon settlements of the American West. Meyer engravings of the American frontier are considerably scarcer than many contemporary English and French steel engravings of the period. While some views were adapted from other travel sources, others offer unusual and relatively uncommon European interpretations of American landscapes and settlements. This example is especially desirable for collectors of Western Americana, Mormon history, Utah views, frontier settlement imagery, and 19th-century German illustrated travel publications. Condition: Very good condition overall, with mild age toning and occasional light spotting in the margins consistent with age. Strong impression with wide margins preserved. Framing tips: This engraving displays beautifully in dark walnut, black lacquer, or lightly gilt frames paired with wide ivory mats. Its elegant monochrome palette and panoramic landscape composition make it especially suitable for studies, libraries, Western Americana collections, or sophisticated gallery walls. Special note: This is an original antique print, not a reproduction. All items we offer are authentic period works of art over 100 years old. The print is sold unframed; any framed images are shown for presentation and interior inspiration only and may not always be to scale with the original. Technique: Steel engraving Maker: Hermann Meyer / Bibliographisches Institut, Hildburghausen, Germany, ca. 1850 See less