George W. Melville (American, 1856-1928). "Grand Panoramic View of the Heart of Chicago". Original wood engraving. 1892. Signed in the plate, lower left. Edition unknown, presumed very small. Cream wove paper. Full margins. Fine, early impression. Condition: folds as issued, else fine. Provenance: Estate of a private collector, Winnetka, Illinois. A highly important and rare print. We have not located an auction sale in the past 25 years, although an impression was purchased for a reported $7,000 by the Canadian Center for Architecture, Montreal, in the early 1980s. Melville, a listed artist (Hughes, Davenport's), worked primarily as an engraver and watercolorist. His works are scarce. The full title of this extremely detailed and very long print (4 1/2 feet long) is "Grand Panoramic View of the Heart of Chicago, Overlooking the Entire Business Portion of the City, Lake Michigan, and the Columbian Exposition." Needless to say, the Chicago skyline has changed considerably since Melville engraved this monumental work 121 years ago. Overall size: 9 x 55 in. (229 x 1397 mm). Image size: 8 x 54 in. (203 x 1372 mm). [26479] |3000| {R100}