The Hudson River was one of the most prominent waterways in the frontier mythology of 17th and 18th century America, and its bends and curves have been immortalized by dozens of artists, authors, and explorers. With funding from the New York State Education Department, the New York Public Library has created this delightful website that brings together a number of rare images and texts from the 19th century for the consideration of those interested in this waterway's storied past. The Collections section of the site should not be missed, as it contains a number of prints of the river's locales (created by an Irish watercolorist and a French traveler), travel narratives of the Hudson River region, and two period guidebooks from 1828 and 1859. One other feature of note is the highly engaging panorama created by William Wade in 1845 that depicts both sides of the Hudson River between Albany and New York City. Here visitors can move up and down the river with the help of the panorama, looking for prominent natural landmarks and aspects of the environment present at this particular moment in history.
Comments