In 1839 Frederick Catherwood walked into the Central American jungle with a drawing instrument called a camera lucida and came out with the first accurate record of Mayan architecture. Uxmal, Palenque, Copán — carved façades half swallowed by roots, drawn stone by stone while he fought off fever.
His lithographs are unusual among travel prints because they are documents rather than impressions. The ornament is recorded precisely, and yet the plates still have the atmosphere of somewhere just found: small human figures at the base of a staircase, vegetation closing back in.
They suit a study, a hallway or any room where you want architecture rather than landscape on the wall.
Explore our vintage travel posters and our antique map prints.
