Fairmount Waterworks

Currently not on view

Fairmount Waterworks

1871

T. Henry Smith (American, active 1843–c. 1903)

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.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Fairmount Waterworks

Date:

1871

Artist:

T. Henry Smith (American, active 1843–c. 1903)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

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)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Purchased with the Bloomfield Moore Fund, 1966

Accession Number:

1966-4-1

Geography:

Made in United States, North and Central America

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Currently not on view