The Great Elm Tree of Shackamaxon (Now Kensington)
Item
Title
The Great Elm Tree of Shackamaxon (Now Kensington)
Creator
George Lehman
American, b. Switzerland, c. 1803–1870
Published by George Lehman
American, b. Switzerland, c. 1803–1870
Published by George Lehman
Date
c. 1830
Materials
Aquatint with hand coloring
Measurements
16-1/8 x 20-7/8 in. (41 x 53 cm)
Description
The great elm tree depicted here by George Lehman supposedly marked the location where William Penn negotiated a treaty in the early 1680s with Tamanend, chief of the Lenape clan that inhabited the area where Philadelphia was established. The tree reportedly stood in the Lenape village of Shackamaxon, later to become the Philadelphia neighborhood of Kensington. When the tree fell during a storm in 1810, careful measurements indicated an age of approximately 280 years, which suggests that when Penn and Tamanend discussed their terms in its shade, the tree had already been standing for over 150 years.
Source
Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University, partial gift and purchase from John C. O’Connor and Ralph M. Yeager.
Identifier
86.633
Rights
This image is posted publicly for non-profit educational uses, excluding printed publication. Other uses are not permitted.