Small panoramas were portable and could be enjoyed in the home or carried on an actual journey. This tourist guide portrays the riverfront in a continuous stretch from its mouth in New York City north to the town of Waterford, with notes about selected landmarks along the journey.
The engraving is a topographical hybrid of aerial and eye-level views—more map than panorama. Wade, listed as surveyor, drew each shore as if viewed from the water, so only one bank at a time is right side up.
The panorama was sold near steamboat offices for $2.00, with a black and white version only $1.50. Passengers could use it to identify the passing scenery. This activity parallels visitors’ experiences in panorama exhibitions, which often featured printed guides or live lectures.