This document is an annotation to the author's transcription of Charles Dickens's "Philadelphia, and its Solitary Prison," from American Notes (1842)

"West" is American historical painter Benjamin West (1738-1820). Born in Springfield, Pennsylvania, he studied portraiture in Italy and in 1763 settled in London, enjoying the patronage of King George III for forty years. His best known canvas is The Death of General Wolfe (1771), a classical subject (the death of a national hero) in modern costume.

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Last modified 8 July 2004