Lot 128: Rare mid-18th-century views of Havana

A View of the Harbour and City of the Havana, taken from Jesu del Monte. Elias Durnford (fl. 1770-1794) & Paul Sandby (1731-1809). Engraving and etching laid down on paper. London: Thomas Jefferys, 1765. 15 x 21 1/2 inches visible, 23 x 30 inches framed. A pair of rare mid-18th-century views of Havana and the surrounding landscape and seascape, part of a set of six engraved views of Cuba from the famous Scenographia Americana. All of these Cuban views were executed by Elias Durnford, an engineer with the British expedition which seized Havana from the Spanish in 1762. The British remained in control for over a year before returning the city to Spain in the Peace of 1763 in exchange for the Floridas. Durnford?s views are some of the finest produced of any of the Caribbean islands in the 18th century.

Engraving on paper