Scotland Yard Engraving Appraisal

Scotland Yard, About 1766 (Hand-Colored Antiquarian Engraving)

This item is a framed and matted antiquarian engraving titled ‘Scotland Yard, About 1766’ depicting a historical cityscape of London. The artwork is an intaglio print, likely a wood or steel engraving, featuring fine-line historical detail with light hand-coloring in muted pastel tones including blue, green, and red. The scene captures pedestrians, horsemen, and architectural landmarks of the period, executed with high-quality cross-hatching and stippling techniques characteristic of 18th or 19th-century topographical prints. The print is housed in a modern cream-colored textured mat board. A gold foil sticker on the upper right of the matting states, ‘THIS ANTIQUARIAN PRINT IS GUARANTEED TO BE OVER 100 YEARS OLD,’ suggesting a manufacturing date no later than the early 20th century, though the style reflects Victorian-era reproductions of earlier 18th-century scenes. The condition appears fair to good; while the print itself is protected, there is visible evidence of light foxing or age-related discoloration in the sky region. The lower right corner of the outer matting features a small torn piece of paper with the number '97' handwritten in ink, likely an auction or inventory tag. The craftsmanship of the engraving shows significant skill in architectural perspective and figure drawing, typical of professional cartographic or historical illustrators of the era.