Lazell, Perkins & Co., Bridgewater, Mass.

Art Historical Context

Step into the industrious world of mid-19th-century America with *Lazell, Perkins & Co., Bridgewater Mass.* (1859–1860), a vibrant hand-colored lithograph by Perry Newell. This detailed print captures the facade and surroundings of the Bridgewater, Massachusetts, manufacturing firm, likely showcasing its buildings, workers, and operations against a pastoral backdrop. Measuring 35.24 × 50.48 cm (image) on a larger 48.26 × 60.64 cm sheet, it offers a window into New England's growing industrial landscape just before the Civil War. Newell's mastery of lithography—a revolutionary printing technique invented decades earlier—allowed for precise, affordable reproductions of urban and commercial scenes. Printed on smooth wove paper and meticulously hand-colored, the work bursts with vivid hues that highlight architectural details and human activity, blending documentary accuracy with artistic appeal. Such prints were prized for their realism and served as promotional tools for businesses like Lazell, Perkins & Co., which produced textiles or tools in this era of rapid mechanization. Today, housed in the National Gallery of Art's Corcoran Collection (acquired via the Mary E. Maxwell Fund), this piece holds cultural significance as a snapshot of antebellum commerce and regional pride. It reminds us how lithography democratized imagery, preserving everyday economic life for future generations.