Francois Xaver Habermann (German 1721 to 1796)
A German printer and publisher working in Augsburg, Germany, Habermann is known for a series of hand colored engravings of American cities, including New York and Boston, during the Revolutionary period. This series was titled Collection des Prospects, and is popularly known as Vues d’ Optiqu. The title was printed in reverse above the view so that it would read properly in the optical viewer. Individual views are identified in captions rendered in both French and German. The content of these views is almost entirely fictitious; they were published for a European audience having a great interest in colonial American events, but no specific knowledge of the leading cities’ makeup. Looking vaguely European was apparently good enough.
Citation by p4A editorial staff; 2012.