Optical prints (or vue d’optique) were made to be viewed in a special apparatus that provided the viewer with an illusion of depth (early 3-D). The large mirror employed in the viewing machine showed the image reversed so many of these views have the titles and information engraved forward and backwards to facilitate viewing in the machine or by hand. These prints were only produced for a short period of time (1740 to 1790) and then were replaced with the invention of the smaller steroviewer. These views are some of the most distinctive and interesting images of the eighteenth century, and their distinctive engraving style, striking perspective and bright original color makes them as visually delightful as they are historically fascinating.

This bustling scene depicts the wharf at Salem. Several ships fill the harbor. There are shipbuilders at work, workers unloading ships, and two men struggling with a stubborn animal. In the background, men transport anchors in the shadow of the warehouses. An alternative title in French, Vue de Salem, is printed in reverse above image. Engraved by the German artist Balthasar Friedrich Leizelt.

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Condition: B

Contemporary color with light soiling. In the margins, there are a few dampstains at bottom left and a few bits of paper attached to the recto.