Title: The Site of Old Fort Dearborn.
Artist: Lester G. Hornby (1882-1956)
Drypoint and etching, undated. c.1920s.
Signed and titled in pencil. Signed in plate.
Image size 6 3/4 x 8 3/4" (17.3 x 22.3 cm).

Text on the building reads, "To Milwaukee : Grand Haven: Muskegon : Grand Rapids. Goodrich Transit Co. Ticket Office."

This etching shows the area in which Fort Dearborn once stood in Chicago, Illinois (at the time it would have been the wilderness of the Illinois Territory). The fort was utilized during the War of 1812 and was the site of the Battle of Fort Dearborn - fought between the Americans and the Potawatomi on August 15, 1812. The Potawatomi were victorious and burned the fort to the ground. It was rebuilt a few years later in 1816 to once again assist with western expansion. The fort went in and out of use for several decades and was partially demolished in 1855 so the Chicago River could be dredged. The remaining building burned either in 1857 or in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

At the time Hornby made this etching the Goodrich Transportation Company's ticket office stood as a prominent business in the area. The company operated passenger steamships in the Great Lakes region with their focus largely centered on Lake Michigan. The S.S. Christopher Columbus was one of their most famous Chicago port ships, which they began leasing in 1899; it was initially built as a ferry for the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. The vessel made regular voyages to Milwaukee.

Lester Hornby was an American printmaker, born in Lowell, MA. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and the Art Students League in New York. His love for France resulted in him living in the country for many years, capturing its cities and landscapes in his own style. This included the war efforts of World War I, where Hornby created etchings of soldiers and the damage wrought upon cities and towns. Although best known for his etchings, Hornby also dabbled in lithography.

Condition: Good condition, some toning in the marins.