Trees near a precipice (1850)

James Fuller Queen prints open a window on 19th-century Philadelphia and Pennsylvania: the Merchants' Exchange, river scenes on the Schuylkill, coal towns, the Delaware Water Gap and Civil War camps. Queen was one of Philadelphia's leading lithographers and chromolithographers. Our collection of fine art prints includes his finished lithographs, his pencil and watercolour sketches, sheet-music covers and advertisements.

About James Fuller Queen

James Fuller Queen was a native of Philadelphia, born around 1820 or 1821. In 1835 he was apprenticed as a lithographer to the Philadelphia firm of Lehman & Duval, and much of his later work was still printed by P. S. Duval.

Over a long career he became one of the city's best-known lithographers and chromolithographers. He drew town views and landscapes across Pennsylvania, portraits, sheet-music covers, certificates and advertisements, and during the Civil War he recorded the volunteers of Philadelphia and their camps. He died in 1886; a will was filed in Philadelphia that year.

Style and Subjects

Queen's prints are clear, careful and full of everyday detail: ferries on the Schuylkill, carts in the street, coal works on a hillside, people strolling by a waterfall. His sketches show how he worked, with quick pencil studies of trees, buildings and figures made on the spot.

His commercial work, such as sheet-music covers and labels, shows the decorative lettering and bright colour of American chromolithography in its early years. Together they form a record of how Pennsylvania looked and worked in the middle of the 1800s.

Famous Works

• Philadelphia Merchants' Exchange (1838). The city's grand commercial building, from his early career.
• Delaware Water Gap (1856). The famous gorge where the Delaware River cuts through the mountains.
• Mount Pisgah, Mauch Chunk (1855). The coal town in the Lehigh Valley and its mountain railway.
• Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon and Hospital (1862). Philadelphia's famous canteen for passing Union troops.
• Sketches with Co. B, 8th Reg. Pa. on Picket Duty (1862). One of a series of sketches drawn with a Philadelphia militia company.
• Fanny Elssler music sheet cover (1840–1842). An early sheet-music cover, made for the dancer Fanny Elssler.
• American Fruit (1867). A colourful chromolithograph still life.

Decorating with Queen Prints

Queen's city and river views suit a study, hallway or home office, especially for anyone with roots in Philadelphia or Pennsylvania. Hang the Delaware Water Gap, Mauch Chunk and Niagara views together for a landscape wall.

The Civil War sketches make a strong group in a library or den, while the sheet-music cover and American Fruit bring colour to a music room or kitchen. Thin black or walnut frames with a cream mat suit the old paper.

FAQ

Who was James Fuller Queen?

James Fuller Queen (c. 1820–1886) was a Philadelphia artist, lithographer and chromolithographer, trained at the firm of Lehman & Duval.

What is chromolithography?

A way of printing colour pictures from several stones, one for each colour. Queen was among the Philadelphia artists who made it popular in the mid-1800s.

What did James Queen draw during the Civil War?

He made sketches of a Philadelphia militia company, Company B of the 8th Pennsylvania, and of the city's volunteer refreshment saloons and hospitals, along with posters and portraits.

Where can I see his work?

The Library Company of Philadelphia holds a large collection of his prints and drawings, and his lithographs are in many American libraries.

When was James Fuller Queen born?

Sources give 1820 or 1821. A different record gives 1824 to about 1877 for a "James Queen", but the 1886 will supports the later death date.

Related Artists

• Augustus Kollner: fellow Philadelphia lithographer and view artist
• Currier & Ives: the New York firm that defined popular American lithography
• John Caspar Wild: lithographer of Philadelphia views in the 1830s