Virtual Gallery of Historic Saint John

Early Paintings, Prints, and Photographs, 1750-1910

Click on the thumbnail images to see the full-size image

Thomas Davies 1758 A North View of Fort Frederick NGC no 6269.jpg "A North View of Fort Frederick built by order of Hon. Col. Robert Monckton on the entrance of the St. John River in the Bay of Fundy", 1758. Perhaps the earliest known view of a site that would be part of the city of Saint John. The fort was on what became the Carleton side of the river (today's Saint John West), and the view is looking south from Navy Island. Watercolour, pen and black ink on laid paper, by Lt. Thomas Davies. Credit: National Gallery of Canada (no. 6269).

Joseph F W Des Barres 14 Nov 1776 The Entrance to the River St. John  LC-USZ62-46031 "The Entrance of the River St. John, 14 November 1776", aquatint with etching by Joseph F. W. Des Barres, published in The American Neptune. The view is from between Manawagonish Island and Partridge Island; the perspective of the latter island is 7 leagues distant to the north by northeast. Credit: Library of Congress/LC-USZ62-46031.

Saint John, from Fort Howe, ca. 1815, after Ralph Stennett, NAC C14143.jpg View of the town and harbour of Saint John taken from the hills southwest of Fort Howe, ca. 1815, lithograph by C. Turner after a painting by Ralph Stennett. Credit: Library and Archives Canada/C-014143.

Town of St. John, 1817, by John E. Woolford, NSM 78.45.111.jpg Town of Saint John, 1817, by John E. Woolford. Credit: Nova Scotia Museum/78.45.111.

Saint John, Martello tower, ca. 1829, NAC.jpg Martello Tower, Saint John harbour, ca. 1829, lithograph by William S. Pendleton after William Henry Hunt. Credit: Library and Archives Canada/C-002981.

Saint John harbour and Partridge Island, 1835, NAC.jpg Partridge Island and Saint John harbour, ca. 1835, drawing and lithograph by Mary G. Hall. Credit: Library and Archives Canada/C-008744.

Saint John, by Mary G. Hall, ca. 1835.jpg City of Saint John, ca. 1835, drawing and lithograph by Mary G. Hall. Credit: Library and Archives Canada/C-030959.

View of the Great Conflagration that took Place on the Night of Saturday, 14th of January 1837 Saint John.jpg View of the Great Conflagration that took Place on the Night of Saturday, 14th of January 1837, Saint John. Lithograph by Fitz Hugh Lane of Thomas Moore's Establishment, Boston, after a drawing by William H. Wentworth from a sketch made by Thomas H. Wentworth. Caption: "The FIRE commenced Peter Wharf about 9 o'clock in evening, by which at least One Third of the commercial part of the city of SAINT JOHN in the Province of New Brunswick became a heap of smouldering ashes..." Credit: Library and Archives Canada/Peter Winkworth Collection/P14.

Meeting of Sleigh Club at the Barracks in Saint John, 1837 by R. G. A. Levinge Meeting of the sleigh club at the barracks in Saint John, 1837". Artist: Richard George Augustus Levinge. Watercolour. Credit: Royal Ontario Museum/953.186.2.

Saint John - from signal - Bartlett.jpg Saint John from the Signal, from Canadian Scenery, 1842, drawing by William Henry Bartlett and steel engraving by Charles Cousen. Credit: Rob Fisher.

Saint John and Portland - Bartlett and Wallis 1840s.jpg Saint John and Portland, from Canadian Scenery, 1842, drawing by William Henry Bartlett and steel engraving by Robert Wallis. Credit: Rob Fisher.

Indiantown 1842.jpg Indiantown, from Canadian Scenery, 1842, drawing by William Henry Bartlett and steel engraving by W. Mossman. This village was just above the Reversing Falls, a few miles from Saint John and is now within the city limits. Because of its location above the falls, which due to high tides were only passable for a few hours each day, Indiantown became the terminus for steamer traffic upriver to Fredericton. The structure in this print may be the large steam-powered sawmill built at Indiantown in 1839, which was considered the "most scientific and complete" example of mill engineering in North America at the time, according to Graeme Wynn (Timber Colony, pp.89-91). Credit: Rob Fisher.

W H Bartlett 1842 Falls on the St John River 1842 - web.jpg Falls on the St. John River, from Canadian Scenery, 1842, drawing by William Henry Bartlett and steel engraving by Charles Cousen. Credit: Rob Fisher.

Saint John ca 1848 after G. N. Smith - Peter Winkworth collection.jpg View of the City of Saint John, New Brunswick from the rock in the rear of Sandpoint, Carleton, New Brunswick. Lithograph by John H. Bufford, Boston, after a drawing by George Neilson Smith. Credit: Library and Archives Canada/ Peter Winkworth Collection/ P30.

View of Saint John, NB, 1851, litho by N. Sarony, NAC.jpg View of Saint John, 1851, lithograph by Napoleon Sarony after a drawing by John William Hill. Credit: Library and Archives Canada/C-011239.

Samuel E Brown 1853 View of Saint John.jpg "View of the City of St. John's, New Brunswick", 1853. Engraving by Samuel E. Brown, publication unknown. Credit: Rob Fisher.

Ballou's Pictorial 1855 Saint John woodcut engraving.jpg "View of Saint John, New Brunswick", from the signal, 1855. Wood engraving, published by Ballou's Pictorial (Boston 1855), artist and engraver unknown. The view is very similar to that of the print by Bartlett above from Canadian Scenery. Credit: Rob Fisher.

Currier and Ives Indiantown 1857-1872.jpg "Indiantown", ca. 1857-1872. Lithograph by Currier and Ives. Again, another view that is very similar to the one done by Bartlett in Canadian Scenery. As noted by one expert, "Currier & Ives were also not above borrowing images from other print publishers, both American and European". Credit: Public Domain.

Anonymous 1862 Armstrong Gun on Sleighs Saint John ILN 29 Mar 1862 "Armstrong Gun on Sleigh in the Ordnance Yard, Saint John, in readiness to be taken overland to Canada", 1862. Anonymous artist and engraver, published in the Illustrated London News, 29 March 1862. Credit: Public Domain.

Anonymous 1866 Town and harbour of Saint John ILN 12 May 1866 "Town and harbour of Saint John", 1866. Anonymous artist and engraver, published in the Illustrated London News, 12 May 1866. Credit: Public Domain.

Edward John Russell 29 April 1871 Recent fire in Saint John CIN vol III no 17 pg 268.jpg "Recent fire in Saint John, New Brunswick", from Canadian Illustrated News, 29 April 1871, volume III, no. 17 page 268. Engraver unknown, from a sketch by Edward John Russell. Credit: Public Domain.

Narrows of the St. John River, Indiantown "Narrows of the St. John River looking towards Indiantown", from Canadian Illustrated News, 1 March 1873, engraved by Bohuslav Kroupa after a sketch by E.J.R. [Edward John Russell]. Credit: Library and Archives Canada/C-059039.

Edward John Russell and Bohuslav Kroupa 15 Mar 1873 Narrows of the St John River looking toward South Bay "Narrows of the St John River looking towards South Bay", from Canadian Illustrated News, 15 March 1873, engraved by Bohuslav Kroupa after a sketch by Edward John Russell. Credit: Public Domain.

James McClure [1874] Suspension Bridge and Lunatic Asylum NGC no 32199.1 "Suspension Bridge and Lunatic Asylum, Saint John, New Brunswick", before 1874. Photograph by James McClure. Credit: National Gallery of Canada (no. 32199.1).

James Notman [1874] View in Saint John Harbour NGC no 32199.10 "View in Saint John Harbour", before 1874. Photograph by James Notman. Credit: National Gallery of Canada (no. 32199.10).

John S Climo 1877 Dockside ruins Saint John NGC no 21340 "Dockside ruins of Saint John after the Great Fire of 1877", 1877. Photograph by John S. Climo. Credit: National Gallery of Canada (no. 21340).

Saint John, ruins of the Great Fire of 1877, by G.M. Simonson, NBM Ruins of the Great Fire of 1877, Saint John. The stone remnants of the Germain Street Baptist Church are visible in the far distance. Photograph by G. M. Simonson. Credit: New Brunswick Museum.

J C Miles 7 July 1877 Great fire of Saint John Corner German and King streets in Canadian Illustrated News Great fire of Saint John, 7 July 1877, View of the corner of King and German Streets. Engraver unknown, after J. C. Miles, published in the Canadian Illustrated News. Credit: Public Domain.

Edward Clare 24 May 1879 Saint John North wharf CIN vol XIX no 21 pg 329.jpg "Saint John, New Brunswick, North Wharf", from Canadian Illustrated News, 22 May 1879, volume XIX, no. 21, page 329. Engraver unknown, from a sketch by Edward Clare. Credit: Public Domain.

Henry Sandham 1879 Beacon Light Saint John harbour NGC no 449.jpg "Beacon Light, Saint John harbour", 1879. Oil painting on canvas by Henry Sandham (Royal Canadian Academy of Arts diploma work, deposited by the artist, Montreal, 1880). Credit: National Gallery of Canada (no. 449).

John Hammond 1884 Saint John - Suspension Bridge NGC No 29371.jpg "Saint John - Suspension Bridge", 1884. Artist: John Hammond. Etching in brown on wove paper. Credit: National Gallery of Canada (no. 29371).

Toronto Lithographing Co 1890 View of St John City and Harbor LAC C121133.jpg "View of St John City and Harbor", 1890, by the Toronto Lithographing Company. Credit: Library and Archives Canada/C-121133.

Harbour front, Saint John, 1904, W.G. MacFarlane IC NGC.jpg Harbour front, Saint John, 1904, from the souvenir view album Saint John, 1604-1904 (Toronto: W. G. MacFarlane, 1904). Credit: National Gallery of Canada.

Market slip, Saint John, 1904 W.G. MacFarlane IC NGC.jpg Market slip, Saint John, 1904, from the souvenir view album Saint John, 1604-1904 (Toronto: W. G. MacFarlane, 1904). Credit: National Gallery of Canada.

The Falls and Bridges, Saint John, 1904 W.G. MacFarlane IC N.jpg The Reversing Falls and the Bridges from the souvenir view album Saint John, 1604-1904 (Toronto: W. G. MacFarlane, 1904). Credit: National Gallery of Canada.

First steam saw-mill in New Brunswick 1822 NYPL Pageant of America Collection "First steam saw-mill in New Brunswick, 1822", [ca. 1910]. New British timber duties in 1821 provided an impetus for sawmilling in New Brunswick. Saint John merchants Otty and Crookshank built the province's first steam sawmill on the Straight Shore in Portland. According to Graeme Wynn, it opened with great fanfare in 1822 with the lieutenant-governors of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia present, but did not prove as profitable as hoped (Timber Colony, p.95). Photographer unknown. Credit: New York Public Library/ Pageant of America Collection.




Return to home page

Copyright © Rob Fisher 2002-2020 [Text only]

counter