Author: Prescott, William Hickling (1796-1859). American Historian.
Title: An Original Photograph of the American Historian William Hickling Prescott, Author of "the History of the Conquest of Mexico".
Description: Circa 1840's-1850's. - An original 7-3/8 inch high by 5-3/8 inch wide soft-hued oval portrait, possible a salt or albumen print, of the American historian and Hispanist William Hickling Prescott mounted on 12 inch high by 9-7/8 inch wide heavy buff stock with clipped corners. The photograph portrays Prescott in profile from the chest up formally attired in a white shirt with a dark bow tie around the raised collar. A dark vest and jacket complete the historian's attire. The oval photograph is set within an oval double-ruled printed gilt frame. William Hickling Prescott has been misidentified as "Wm. Henry Prescott" in gilt print at bottom. There is a tiny faint stain to the left edge of the photograph and some minor spots of foxing to the mount. Very good.

The author of "The History of the Conquest of Mexico", the historian William Hickling Prescott (1796-1859) is considered to be the first American scientific historian, defining the field as a rigorous academic discipline. Primarily focused on political and military events, Prescott was admired for his careful systematic use of archives and accurate recreation of sequences and events. He specialized in late Renaissance Spain and the Spanish Empire, penning such works as "The History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic", "The History of the Conquest of Mexico" and "The History of the Conquest of Peru", among others. Very good .

Keywords: HISTORY; PHOTOGRAPH; PHOTOGRAPHY; HISTORIAN; HISPANIST; WILLIAM HICKLING PRESCOTT; PORTRAIT; ALBUMEN; SALT PRINT; OVAL; NINETEENTH CENTURY; 19TH CENTURY; THE HISTORY OF THE CONQUEST OF MEXICO; THE HISTORY OF THE REIGH OF FERDINAND AND ISABELLA THE CATHOLI

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