Description
Located in Eastern Washington near the Idaho border, Cheney Washington was experiencing a period of growth and expansion in the latter portions of the nineteenth century as the nation neared the turn of the century and was undergoing a transformative period as modernization was spreading across the country. This bird's eye perspective was produced and published by Henry Wellge, a prolific American mapmaker who, along with four other cartographers, produced more than half of all the panoramic maps in the Library of Congress collection. Wellge worked with the prominent lithography company Beck & Stoner to create some of the most popular panoramic maps of the eighteenth century. Bird's eye perspectives were produced as marketing materials to promote towns and cities across America and attract residents and merchants alike by featuring promote civic features, government facilities, and economic opportunities. When this panoramic map was published, Washington was still five years away from statehood and remained a relatively remote part of the United States. However, the completion of rail lines in the latter portions of the nineteenth century had opened access considerably. In 1942 Cheney became home to Fairchild Air Force Base, which remains an essential part of the United States air defense system. Wellge's work features incredible detail and artistic flourishes with a distinctive aesthetic and unique style that is immediately recognizable and transports the viewer back in time, creating an indelible bond between the past and present. This is a unique piece of American cartographical history with a classic elegance. Overall Size: 16" H x 24" W
