Group Of 19th Century Massachusetts Revolutionary War Site Cyanotypes -

Small collection of eleven cyanotypes depicting sites in the greater Boston area related to the Revolutionary War and parades honoring Revolutionary War heroes, most captioned and dated to verso, the captions hand-written and the dates either written in pencil or rubber-stamped, each photograph also stamped either "Boston, Mass." or "Charlestown, Mass.", sites depicted include: a house on Prince Street used as a hospital by the English after the Battle of Bunker Hill; another house on Prince Street where the British Major John Pitcairn died from wounds received at the Battle of Bunker Hill; the birthplace in Charlestown of Civil War General Charles Devens Jr.; the Boston headquarters of British commander-in-chief General Thomas Gage; and the Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument in Charlestown. Images of varying size, most measure approx. 5" x 8". Loose as issued. Boston, 1890-1894. The cyanotype process was developed in 1842 by the scientist and astronomer John Frederick Herschel, and is a photographic printing process often used to create blueprints and copies of notes, or even prints of objects from nature. This collection of cyanotypes is accompanied by a letter dated January 12, 1894 and addressed to Captain Luke Smith of Acton, Massachusetts, which states that these "blue prints" would be of interest to the Captain, whose father fought in the Revolutionary War. Six of the images are also inscribed to verso, "For Capt. Luke Smith."