Towpath Collection

Near Bingley (oil on board)
3822454 Near Bingley (oil on board) by Stead, Frederick (1863-1940); 49.1x62 cm; Calderdale Museums Service, West Yorkshire, UK; eCalderdale Borough Council; English, out of copyright

Ware, Herts, 1880s. Creator: Peter Henry Emerson
Ware, Herts, 1880s. A work made of photogravure, plate ii from the album " the compleat angler or the contemplative mans recreation, volume i" (1888); edition 109/250

Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire. Interestingly, on the far right can be seen part of the main exhibition hall of the 1903 Nottingham Midlands Exhibition, known as the Ivory Tower

Man riding a penny farthing into a canal (chromolitho)
2817016 Man riding a penny farthing into a canal (chromolitho) by French School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Man riding a penny farthing into a canal)

View of Delft, c. 1660-61 (oil on canvas) (detail of 1109252)
BBC209861 View of Delft, c.1660-61 (oil on canvas) (detail of 1109252) by Vermeer, Jan (Johannes) (1632-75); 96.5x115.7 cm; Mauritshuis, The Hague, The Netherlands; Dutch, out of copyright

Fish and Chips bridge Stoke
An old couple stoop down to walk beneath a bridge on the towpath of the Caldon Canal in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England. The bridge has grafitti - Fish and Chips

The Towing Path, 1864. Creator: Francis Seymour Haden
The Towing Path, 1864

Towpath, c.1896. Creator: Jacob Henricus Maris
Towpath, c.1896

Landscape with canal, 1873-1903. Creator: George Poggenbeek
Landscape with canal, 1873-1903

View of a canal in the vicinity of the Ketelpoort in Delft, 1742-1801. Creator: Anon
View of a canal in the vicinity of the Ketelpoort in Delft, 1742-1801. Possibly the canal running parallel to Oude Delft, which leads to the Ketelpoort in the south of the city of Delft

View of the Maartensbrug on the Oudegracht in Utrecht, 1742-1801. Creator: Anon
View of the Maartensbrug on the Oudegracht in Utrecht, 1742-1801. On the right the Vismarkt. The town hall in the background

View of the city of Middelburg and the Havenkanaal, 1700-1799. Creator: Anon
View of the city of Middelburg and the Havenkanaal, 1700-1799

Winter Scene on the Frozen Canal near the Kalverhekkenpoort, Kampen, before 1607. Creator: Hendrick Avercamp
Winter Scene on the Frozen Canal near the Kalverhekkenpoort, Kampen / verso: Sketches of Figures on the Ice, before 1607

Unloading carts at a canal, 1864-1936. Creator: Johannes Cornelis van Essen
Unloading carts at a canal, 1864-1936

Horses on the beach, a barge and fishermen in the background, c.1867-c.1923. Creator: George Hendrik Breitner
Horses on the beach, a barge and fishermen in the background, c.1867-c.1923

View of the Amsterdam Canal in Haarlem, 1742-1801. Creator: Johann Jakob Stelzer
View of the Amsterdam Canal in Haarlem, 1742-1801. Barges on the water. In the background on the left is the Sint-Bavokerk and the Amsterdam Poort in the middle

Houses on a dyke, 1870-1888. Creator: Anton Mauve
Houses on a dyke, 1870-1888

South Canal Park, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. c1905. Creator: Unknown
South Canal Park, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. c1905

The Sand Bargeman, 1887. Creator: Jozef Israels
The Sand Bargeman, 1887. Other Title(s): The Sand Barge

Winter Scene, 1867. Creator: Charles Henri Joseph Leickert
Winter Scene, 1867

C & O canal at 31st Street, Washington, D.C. c.between 1910 and 1920. Creator: Unknown
C & O canal at 31st Street, Washington, D.C. c.between 1910 and 1920

Towpath, 1894. Creator: Jacob Henricus Maris
Towpath, 1894

French River Landscape with a Bridge, 1866. Creator: Anton Melbye
French River Landscape with a Bridge, 1866

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal - Canal Boat, 1917. Creator: Harris & Ewing. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal - Canal Boat, 1917
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal - Canal Boat, 1917. The C&O Canal operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.C. and Cumberland, Maryland

Esquisse pour la mairie de Saint-Maur-des-Fossés : Halage - Maraîchage, 1883. Creator: Paul Albert Baudouin
Esquisse pour la mairie de Saint-Maur-des-Fosses : Halage - Maraichage, 1883

Le Canal Saint Denis, late 19th-early 20th century. Creator: Pierre Vauthier
Le Canal Saint Denis, late 19th-early 20th century

Sketch for the town hall in Saint-Maurice: Landscape. Banks of the Marne... between 1890 and 1892
Sketch for the town hall in Saint-Maurice: Landscape. Banks of the Marne (for the reception hall), between 1890 and 1892

Sketch for the town hall in Saint-Maurice: Landscape. Banks of the Marne... between 1890 and 1892
Sketch for the town hall in Saint-Maurice: Landscape. Banks of the Marne (for the reception hall), between 1890 and 1892

The Bievre, rue Croulebarbe (factory of the widow Lanier), 1885. Creator: Alfred Louis Bahuet
The Bievre, rue Croulebarbe (factory of the widow Lanier), 1885

The Saint-Martin canal, c1900. Creator: Marie-Francois Firmin
The Saint-Martin canal, c1900

Towboats along the Yotsugidori Canal (Yotsugidori yosui hikifune), from the series "One... 1857
Towboats along the Yotsugidori Canal (Yotsugidori yosui hikifune), from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)", 1857

"The trip to Norrige, Kanalvägen July 1855". Creator: Fritz von Dardel
"The trip to Norrige, Kanalvagen July 1855". Pilgrimage to Vreta Monastery

The White Horse, 1818-1819. Creator: John Constable
The White Horse, 1818-1819

Erie Canal Locks at Lockport, NY State, USA
circa 1910s

The Glamorganshire Canal at Ynysangharad, 1854 (w/c over pencil on paper)
NGW322611 The Glamorganshire Canal at Ynysangharad, 1854 (w/c over pencil on paper) by Petherick, John (fl.1853-55); 11.8x15.5 cm; National Museum Wales; National Museums & Galleries of Wales

Morning: The Glamorgan Canal (oil on board)
NGW344311 Morning: The Glamorgan Canal (oil on board) by Thomas, Edgar Herbert (1862-1936); 30x45.3 cm; National Museum Wales; National Museums & Galleries of Wales

Georgetown, Washington DC, USA historic old brick warehouses and canals

The Drawbridge, March 1888, (1947). Creator: Vincent van Gogh
The Drawbridge, March 1888, (1947). Wooden footbridge over the canal at Arles in the south of France. Painting, also known as The Langlois Bridge, in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

Namur, 1890. Creator: Unknown
Namur, 1890. The Citadel of Namur on the confluence of Sambre and Meuse rivers was a disputed territory between Spain, France, England

Aldwarke lock on the Sheffield & South Yorkshire Navigation near Rotherham - coal transport by barge from Aldwarke Colliery. Date: circa 1920

Erewash Canal and Sawley Road, Long Eaton, Derbyshire. It is unclear if the gentleman in the foreground is going to receive a stern reprimand from the copper approaching from the background....!

The Canal du Midi near Castelnaudary, Languedoc-Rousillon, France. September 2011

Canal at Potsdam, c1926. Artist: Ulrich Hubner
Canal at Potsdam, c1926. From The Studio Volume 92. [London Offices of the Studio, London, 1926]

Ferry Bridge DP234197
Ferry Bridge, Old Great North Road, Ferrybridge, Brotherton, Selby, North Yorkshire. Looking north towards Ferry Bridge from beneath the modern bridge over the River Aire

Europe, United Kingdom, England, South Yorkshire, Sheffield, Victoria Quays

Leeds and Liverpool Canal horse drawn barge early 1900s Date: circa 1900s

Oxford Eight practising on the River Thames with Houseboats
An Oxford Eight practising on the River Thames with elegant houseboats moored along the far riverbank. Date: 1929

Towpath Spectators at Oxford Rowing
Spectators line the towpath to watch the Oxford Summer Eights rowing competition. Date: 1932

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The towpath, a picturesque pathway that winds alongside canals and rivers, has long been a beloved feature of many towns and cities. In Ware, Herts during the 1880s, Peter Henry Emerson captured the tranquil beauty of this path in his stunning photographs. Meanwhile, Johannes Vermeer's "View of Delft" from the 1660s showcases a charming scene where people stroll along the towpath admiring the canal's reflection. Moving forward to more recent times, we find ourselves on Fish and Chips bridge in Stoke-on-Trent. Here, locals gather on the towpath to enjoy their favorite British delicacy while watching boats pass by on Trent Bridge in Nottinghamshire. And who could forget that iconic image of a man riding a penny farthing into a canal? This chromolithograph captures both the daring spirit of adventure and the peacefulness found along these waterways. As we venture further north to Manchester's Castlefield Canal Basin in Lancashire, we witness bustling activity as horse-drawn barges navigate through Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The early 1900s come alive with scenes of hardworking barge workers transporting goods along this historic trade route. Heading south again towards Oxfordshire brings us to another famous stretch of river: The Thames. Rowers from Oxford Eight practice diligently amidst elegant houseboats lining the towpath. Spectators eagerly gather to watch their skillful maneuvers as they glide past. Traveling back in time to Bougival in 1864 takes us across borders into Europe where French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir immortalized an idyllic scene along its towpath with his oil painting "The Tow Path at Bougival. " This masterpiece perfectly captures nature's tranquility blending seamlessly with human presence. Finally, John Constable's "The White Horse" transports us across continents to Lockport, New York State in America where Erie Canal Locks stand proudly beside the towpath.