Convention at Philadelphia, 1787

by Frederick Juengling and Alfred Kappes

Constitutional Convention
“Convention at Philadelphia, 1787,” Alfred Kappes and Frederick Juengling (1881) New York Public Library Digital Collections. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-f646-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

This engraving appears in R. M. Devins’ Our First Century, published in 1881. (It can be found online at the New York Public Library website and in the NYPL Mid-Manhattan Picture Collection.) Titled “The Convention at Philadelphia, 1787,” the engraving is credited to two men. Frederick Juengling (see his signature, F Juengling, in the bottom left of the engraving) was a member of the New School of Engravers in New York in the late nineteenth century. He was born in 1846 and died in 1889. The other engraver was Alfred Kappes, 1850-1894. (See his signature at the bottom right of the engraving.)

The Image

Once again, Washington is placed in a prominent position and is clearly recognizable. So too is Franklin, sitting in the front row and slightly to the left of Washington. The engravers capture the importance of the two windows but have the curtains neither fully closed nor fully open. What is interesting about this portrayal is that there is a working desk where drafts of the Constitution are being hammered out, while discarded paper lies on the floor.)

Prioritizing Secrecy Improving Continental Governance Preserving the Power of the Smaller States Attaining “Stability & Permanency”
Crafting a “Partly National, Partly Federal” Government Defining Congress’ Powers Compromising on Slave Trade Establishing the Electoral College & Presidency
Debating the Limits of the Judiciary Reinventing the Traditional Principles of Republicanism Washington & the Virginia Delegation 12 Crucial Days
A Four-Act Drama Artistic Portrayals of the Convention Attendance Record Committee Chart
Interactive Map of Philadelphia Intro to the Convention Letters from the Convention Madison’s Notes
Major Themes of the Convention Summary of the Convention The Delegates The Constitution
Timeline of the Convention Washington at City Tavern Exhibit Home Constitutional Convention Document Collection