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“The London Coffee House” During the Colonial Era – 1830

Independence National Historical Park

Black print on aged paper.
This print is of the London Coffee House established by William Bradford in 1754 and closed in 1796. It was next door to Bradford’s printing house and bookstore. Bradford published “The Pennsylvania Journal” newspaper and became the official printer for the First Continental Congress in 1774. Click on the image to a full-size image of the print in The Library Company's digital collection.

Courtesy of the Library Company of Philadelphia.

Title: “The London Coffee House” During the Colonial Era – 1830
Date: 1830
Location: Front and High [Market] Streets
Object Information: Paper document, print/lithograph, 14 x 23 cm (5.75 x 9 in.)

Repository: Library Company of Philadelphia| Print Department | BW - Hotels, Inns, Taverns [9245.Q.20], https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/digitool%3A64830.

Description:

In 1830, British-born lithographer William Breton created this image of the London Coffee House located at the southwest corner of Front and High [Market] Streets for John F. Watson’s Annals of Philadelphia. The London Coffee House was known as a social gathering place for merchants, ship owners, investors, city officials, and citizens to conduct business, advertise their products, attend public auctions, discuss politics and trade, and socialize. Outside the establishment, the inspection and auctioning of newly arrived African people took place—a scene that Breton and Watson chose to portray in the print. This is depicted through five individuals, including a mother with a child on her hip, standing on a plank over barrels. An African or African American woman walking past the auction with a basket on her head is also shown in the scene.

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Last updated: April 10, 2025