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"Old
Philadelphia - City Hall by Moonlight" by Paul McGehee. In 1682 William
Penn founded the "City of Brotherly Love", Philadelphia, as the capital
of his Pennsylvania Colony. Philadelphia played a major role in the
American Revolution, and was the site of the signing of the Declaration
of Independence from Britain in 1776 and the United States Constitution
in 1787. Less than a century later, the city planned the construction
of a magnificent City Hall building to situated on the site of William
Penn's "Centre Square" (now Penn Square) not far from the spot where
Penn first made a pact of peace with the local Indian tribe to
establish the Quaker settlement, thus giving birth to Pennsylvania. The
548'-tall structure was begun in 1871 and topped off in 1894. For
several years it was the tallest building in the world, finally
surpassed in height by the Singer Building (1908) in New York City.
Atop the main tower of Philadelphia's City Hall is an enormous 37'-tall
bronze statue of William Penn, facing in the direction of Penn Treaty
Park where it all began. Through the years, the old City Hall Building
has dodged the wrecking ball once or twice, but is now listed as a
protected National Historic Landmark in the National Historic Register.
"Old Philadelphia - City Hall by Moonlight"
is faithfully reproduced from Paul's original color pencil drawing as
an archival quality print issued in a strictly limited edition of only
500 pieces each hand-signed by the artist.
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