An Exact Prospect of CHARLESTOWN, the Metropolis of the Province of SOUTH CAROLINA.
Date1762
After work by
Bishop Roberts
Engraver
William Henry Toms (fl. 1723-1758)
OriginEngland, London
MediumBlack and white line engraving
Dimensions10 1/4" x 23 5/8" Plate: 6 7/8" x 20 1/2"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1936-725
DescriptionUpper margin reads: "Engrav'd for the London Magazine."Title in banner reads: "An Exact Prospect of CHARLESTOWN, the Metropolis of the Province of SOUTH CAROLINA."
Label TextThis view of Charleston, South Carolina was published in 1762 for the "London Magazine." It was copied and engraved by William Henry Toms from the painting of the city by Bishop Roberts in Colonial Williamsburg's Collection (see 1956-103). Early town views often provide the only evidence that remains to document certain sites and buildings. Their rare survival offers insight into what several colonial communities looked like in the past. This watercolor and the engraving copied from it illustrate the city of Charleston, then called Charles Town, as it appeared in the late 1730s. It depicts many of the public and private buildings that were destroyed by fire in 1740.
