John Baird, steam marble works, Ridge Road above Spring Garden St. Philadelphia, (ca. 1848) (4679422073)

Advertisement containing an exterior view showing the Ridge Road entrance to the "John Baird," "Spring Garden Marble Mantle Manufactory" and "Steam Marble Works" erected in 1846. Works include a central courtyard, offices, and adjoining yard marked "Garden Statuary, Vases, Ornamental Sculpture, &c." that contains a variety of fountains, vases, and statues on the platform roof. A cupola adorns a rear building of the factory. In front of the courtyards, gravestones are displayed and workers move large slabs of marble with a lever and by dolly. On the roof of the central courtyard, a clerk shows patrons a selection of monuments. In front of the factory, couples promenade on the sidewalk, a horse is hitched, a couple rides on horseback and dogs greet each other in the street. The woman rides side-saddle. Also shows employees within the courtyard, office windows, and visible through an open entryway climbing a flight of stairs. Baird established his business in 1841 gaining a reputation as a vanguard in the modern operations of marble works.