Cincinnati: The Packet “Hudson” Arriving in 1888

The paintings that characterize Cincinnati best are those containing the six major features of the area: the city itself, mount Adams, the Roebling bridge, the wide Ohio River, the public landing, and busy river traffic. It was the never-ending parade of paddle-wheelers stopping at Cincinnati that was responsible for the city's growth into a commercial and cultural center. In the heyday of river shipping, regularly scheduled vessels carried passengers and freight along specific routes. In his view from the Ludlow vantage point, the river packet Hudson emerges from a cloud shadow into a pool of evening light, flooding the “Queen City” and the other carefully positioned major features as the sun dips to the far right.

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