Extremely rare leporello style-bound copy of a lithographic panorama of Rotterdam, the second largest city (regarding number of inhabitants) of the Netherlands which is at present home to the largest seaport in Europe. The view of the city from the river Maas (or Meuse) was made by the Dutch painter, illustrator and graphic artist (lithography etc.) Johan Conrad Greive (1837-1891). He was mainly known for his depictions of Dutch landscapes, including views of rivers and cityscapes. The present Panorama de Rotterdam shows this important Dutch port city from the river, captioning all main buildings, boats and other elements in print in the foot margin. The original lithographs were printed and published as 3 loose leaves showing 2 views each, thus each view is still numbered 1-6 in the top right corner in the illustration. Views 2, 4 and 6 are signed in the lower right corner by Greive "J.C. Greive fec.". Some prominent buildings and places depicted in the present panorama are: steam ships, churches, the former office of the Rotterdam branch of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), and the so-called Dutch state's warehouse ("Rijks entrepôt"). It gives a beautiful impression of old Rotterdam, before its cityscape and skyline were irrevocably changed with the bombing of the city at the start of the Second World War and its post-war rebuilding and reconstruction projects.
While other copies of these lithographs are known, it is extremely rare to find them bound together presented as a panorama as other examples often show the illustrations in their original form of two views per leaf. Judging by these 3 loose leaves, our margins have been cut very slightly short - thus omitting the imprint of the printer and publisher beneath each view. On the upside, we can be sure that these views were printed by the Amsterdam-based lithographer and publisher-printer Ruurt de Vries (1813-1874).
The present work is extremely rare: we have located only one other bound copy, which is held at the University of Groningen. Curiously, of a similar publication "Panorama de Amsterdam" - which was also illustrated by J.C. Greive and published by the Amsterdam firm of François Buffa and Sons - only two copies have survived which are both held at the University of Groningen.
With a blue stamp on the blank "first page" (the verso shows the first part of the panorama) "J.C. Eberhardt Grosshandlung In Fluss- & See-Fischen Speyer a. Rhein.". The leaves are very slightly foxed, part no. 6 (numbered in the right upper corners of the recto leaves) shows a repaired tear, slightly affecting the image at the "station Ned. Rhijn spoorweg.". The gutter of the back end leaves is slightly weakened. Otherwise in good condition. An extremely rare, beautiful leporello style panorama view of mid-nineteenth-century Rotterdam. P. Ratsma, Prospecten van Rotterdam: gezichten op de stad, 1500-2000, pp. 103-105 and facsimile 17; Rijksmuseum object no. RP-P-1892-A-17073 & RP-P-1892-A-17075 & RP-P-1892-A-17077 (panorama (uncut) in 3 leaves, 2 views per leaf); Roterodamum illustratum page 141, no. 179; Stadsarchief Rotterdam 4080 prenten en tekeningen 1550-2000, RI-179-1-2 & RI-179-3-4 & RI-179-5-6 (panorama in 6 loose leaves); WorldCat 64777862 (1 copy); cf. for the "Panorama de Amsterdam" WorldCat 64777818 (2 copies).