Biography:

William L. Breton, born ca. 1773-6 in England, was a watercolorist and early lithographer of Philadelphia landscapes active in the city ca. 1825-1855. Breton, a self-trained artist immigrated to Philadelphia about 1824, leaving a wife and several children in Europe. An amateur watercolorist of Philadelphia landmarks, Breton attracted the attention of antiquarian John F. Watson in the late 1820s as the latter compiled his "Annals of Philadelphia."



Retained by Watson as the artist of the illustrations for his "Annals," Breton also served 1828-1837 as an artist of engraved Philadelphia and West Pennsylvania views for Samuel Atkinson's "The Casket"; of which several reside in the collections of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Athenaeum. In 1829, Breton entered the lithographic trade to execute the illustrations for the "Annals" and continued to work with the printers of the plates, first commercial Philadelphia lithographers, Kennedy & Lucas, throughout the early 1830s. The collaboration also created 1829-1830 the first separately-issued series of lithographic views of Philadelphia depicting local churches of variant denominations as well as produced lithographic illustrations for Watson's "Historic Tales of Olden Times..." of New York and Philadelphia (1832-1833); Mease and Porter's "Picture of Philadelphia from 1811 to 1833"; and "Godey's Lady's Book." Breton's lithography also included advertisements, including work for Lehman & Duval (1835-1837) and railroad imagery.

Throughout the 1830s, Breton continued his work in watercolor. In 1837, he received acclaim and a sale for his view of the launching of the new frigate Pennsylvania from the Navy Yard which was followed by a depiction of the Departure of the Steam Ship Great Western from New York in 1838; both of which went on display with other of his work at the "Head Quarters." Following this era of productivity and success, Breton began to lessen his association with lithography. He possibly worked with Thomas Sinclair in the early 1840s, but soon thereafter his work mainly focused on watercolors that he produced in a state of retirement before his death on August 14, 1855

Breton appears to have lived mainly as a tenant during his Philadelphia residency with a studio at the Arcade Building in 1830 and at the S.E corner of Fourth and Walnut streets in 1849. He was a "gentleman" resident of the inn of Alex Quinton in Manayunk according to the 1850 census.