The Great West

Color broadside ,The Great West, 1847

The broadside promotes the American West and trade with China. Designed by H. Phelps in 1847 and printed by Phelps, Ensigns, & Thayer, 36 Ann Street, New York. The title The Great West has a subtitle "“embracing its population, productions, extent, places and distances on the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri rivers, panoramic view of the route to China." The picture of the man and dog is credited to: “Lossing & Barritt del. Et. Sc.” The broadside is titled: “The Great West / Embracing its population, productions, extent, places, and / distances on the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers / Panoramic view of the route the China, &c.” Underneath a panorama at the topic is printed "Panoramic view of route to China by the Oregon Railroad and Pacific Ocean. This road once built would become the great highway of nations." A portrait of a man is in each corner, captioned (clockwise from top left): “Ferdinand De Soto”, “Daniel Boone”, “Henry Clay”, and “Thomas H. Benton.” Banners of 14 states are spaced throughout the poster, with text under each describing the first settlement, area, population, and what the state produces. The states are (clockwise from top left): “Oregon”, “Iowa”, “Wisconsin”, “Indiana”, “Ohio”, “Illinois”, “Missouri”, “Arkansas”, “Michigan”, “Texas”, “Louisiana”, “Mississippi”, “Tennessee”, “Kentucky”. In between the banners winds text describing the Ohio, Mississippi, and Missouri Rivers. At the bottom of the poster is a picture of a man and a dog looking out over a vista with mountain ranges and rivers. At the top of the poster stretches a panorama of the Pacific to the Midwest titled "Westward the Star of Empire make its way." Possibly produced in association with Asa Whitney’s campaign to promote the Pacific Railroad, 1847.

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