Forty Etchings From Sketches Made With The Camera Lucida, In North America: In 1827 and 1828

First published in the early 19th century, Captain Basil Hall’s Forty Etchings from Sketches Made with the Camera Lucida, in North America: In 1827 and 1828 stands as one of the earliest visual records of the United States and Canada, captured through the eyes of a disciplined observer and accomplished traveler.

Drawn during Hall’s North American expedition—the same journey chronicled in his acclaimed Travels in North America—these etchings depict landscapes, cities, and daily scenes of a nation still carving its place between wilderness and civilization. Using the innovative camera lucida, Hall rendered the natural grandeur and emerging urban life of the continent with striking precision and quiet artistry, preserving moments that few European eyes had seen.

Part artistic portfolio, part historical document, Forty Etchings offers a rare glimpse into the geography and spirit of early nineteenth-century America—its ports and rivers, settlements and frontiers—each plate a testament to curiosity, endurance, and the art of seeing.

Complete edition of Captain Basil Hall’s illustrated record of North America

Includes forty original etchings created with the camera lucida during his 1827–1828 journey

An essential primary source for the study of early American landscapes and exploration

Ideal for collectors of travel illustration, maritime art, and historical Americana