Fairmount Waterworks
T. Henry Smith, American, active 1843 - c. 1903
Geography:
Made in United States, North and Central America
Date:
1871Medium:
Oil on canvasDimensions:
30 13/16 x 47 1/16 inches (78.3 x 119.5 cm) Framed: 38 x 53 1/2 x 3 inches (96.5 x 135.9 x 7.6 cm)Curatorial Department:
American ArtObject Location:
1966-4-1Credit Line:
Purchased with the Bloomfield Moore Fund, 1966
Made in United States, North and Central America
Date:
1871Medium:
Oil on canvasDimensions:
30 13/16 x 47 1/16 inches (78.3 x 119.5 cm) Framed: 38 x 53 1/2 x 3 inches (96.5 x 135.9 x 7.6 cm)Curatorial Department:
American ArtObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1966-4-1Credit Line:
Purchased with the Bloomfield Moore Fund, 1966
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William Penn named this hill Fairmount and enjoyed viewing the Schuylkill River scenery from its summit. When Philadelphia built the water works facility here, a 3-million-gallon reservoir was excavated at the top of the hill to supply neighboring homes and businesses with water. Smith portrayed Fairmount as an idealized place where technology and nature coexisted, creating a stable foundation for the modern city in the background.
