I know it’s only the end of April but I just had to share with you this great Patriotic Image I found of the Liberty Bell. It’s from a little book all about the Liberty Bell but this frontispiece is the best part of the complete publication.
The author identified the illustrator for his book and it was John A. Hows. The book was published in 1862 and the best I can figure the artist was John Augustus Hows (1832-1874).
Hows’ Liberty Bell drawing is a bit more elaborately decorated than the actual bell now on display in Philadelphia. His beautiful American flag, that drapes his Liberty Bell, either hides the inscription or the lack of it. The inscription on the bell reads, “Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
I was able to visit the Liberty Bell Center when I was a child living in Pennsylvania. Sadly, in years past when the bell was more accessible, people would break off small pieces of the bottom of the bell as souvenirs. Consequently, the bottom edge of the bell has a serrated and uneven edge.
Historians debate as to the bell’s actual role in the story of American Independence but it remains a symbol of the desire for freedom and our independence. This Liberty Bell drawing would make a great addition to creative works celebrating American Independence, July 4th or any other patriotic event.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
