Porcher, Edwin Augustus, 1824-1878, 83. Ruins of a theatre at Utica. May 21st, 1858. Published, 1858 May 21
- Call Number:
- MSS 38
- Creator:
- Porcher, Edwin Augustus, 1824-1878
- Title(s):
- 83. Ruins of a theatre at Utica. May 21st, 1858. Published.
- Date:
- 1858 May 21
- Classification:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Series:
- Series I: Drawings
- Part of Collection:
- Oversize 2
- Provenance:
- E.A. Porcher donated 16 drawings related to his Cyrene expedition to the British Museum in 1865. He left his remaining papers and watercolor works to Lieut. Col. Cecil Du Pre Penton Powney (b. 1862), his sister’s surviving son, who donated views, plans and elevations from the Cyrene expedition to the British Museum in 1894. The remaining manuscripts and drawings were inherited by Powney’s daughter, Beryl Wyndham Powney (c. 1896 -1976). Several components of the Porcher collection were sold by private dealers beginning in the 1970s (see 'Related Archival Materials Note' for Porcher holdings in other institutional collections).
- Conditions Governing Access:
- The materials are open for research.
- Conditions Governing Use:
- The collection is the physical property of the Yale Center for British Art. Literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. For further information, consult the Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts.
- Scope and Content:
- Mounted with Porcher’s diagram of the “hunters mosaic”, this watercolor was the basis for an engraving of the same name in Nathan Davis’ <emph render="italic">Carthage and Her Remains</emph> (page 405). Davis describes the site: “In the direction of the cape we have the remains of a theatre, which must have been gorgeously decorated, judging from the numerous fragments of rich marbles which are here found” (408). The archaeologist forms the theory that the theater was practical for the representation of naval battles, as water could be dispensed from the nearby aqueduct into the amphitheater, then emptied into the harbor below. He concludes: “A double object was thus attained: the people were gratified by an attractive exhibition, and the public reservoirs were regularly cleansed” (407). Mounted on the same card with “A Mosaic pavement (measuring 11.3 feet by 5) taken up at Utica on June 12th, 1858, and sent home to the British museum. Published."
- Additional Notes:
- B1977.14.22167
- Physical Description:
- 1 drawing : watercolor, body color, on medium-thick beige paper, affixed to card mount ; sheet 25.5 x 18 cm, mount 36.5 x 52 cm
- Genre:
- Watercolors (paintings), Pictorial works, Diaries, Letters, and Ships' logs
- Subject Terms:
- Anglo-Burmese War, 2nd, 1852AntiquitiesAntiquities, RomanChronColoniesDescription and travelExcavations (Archaeology)FortificationHarborsHistory, NavalJunksNavigationPagodasPiracyPiratesPunic antiquitiesShipsTemplesVoyages and travels
- Subject Period:
- 1849-18611850-1900
- Associated Places:
- AsiaBurmaCarthage (Extinct city)ChinaChina SeaCyrene (Extinct city)East AsiaGozo Island (Malta)Grand Harbour (Malta)Great BritainGuangzhou (China)Hong Kong (China)MaltaMellieh̳a (Malta)Pulau Pinang (Malaysia : State)Qrendi (Malta)SingaporeTrincomalee (Sri Lanka)Tunis (Tunisia)TunisiaUtica (Extinct city)Valletta (Malta)
- Associated People/Groups:
- Boxer (Ship : 1855-1865)Cleopatra (Ship : 1843)Davis, N. (Nathan), 1812-1882Great Britain. Royal NavyHarpy (Ship : 1845-1909)Hibernia (Ship : 1804-1902)Kertch (Ship)Melville, Harden Sidney, active 1837-1882Porcher, Edwin A., 1824-1878Porcher, Madelina
- Finding Aid Title:
- Edwin Augustus Porcher Collection
- Collection PDF:
- https://ead-pdfs.library.yale.edu/19.pdf
- Archival Object:
- https://archives.yale.edu/repositories/3/archival_objects/2879
- Metadata Cloud URL:
- https://metadata-api.library.yale.edu/metadatacloud/api/aspace/repositories/3/archival_objects/2879?mediaType=json&include-notes=1&include-all-subjects=1