Edwin Whitefield

Edwin Whitefield traveled throughout North America making topographical views of cities, many of which he published in 1855. This drawing is a bird’s-eye view from College Hill of Providence’s downtown riverfront. Whitefield privileged legibility and precision over accuracy; his general view from a high vantage point did not stop him from rendering façades, especially those of important landmarks, in great detail. Whitefield’s use of graphite with a color wash aligns with the lithographs made for the series, which were printed in black with green highlights.