Framed Capture of the City of Washington by J. & J. Cundee of Albion Press

Capture of the City of Washington by J. & J. Cundee at the Albion Press around 1815, depicts the dramatic moment when British troops entered the U.S. capital after their victory at the Battle of Bladensburg in August 1814. Soldiers march in organized ranks as flames engulf key buildings, symbolizing the burning of the Capitol, the White House, and other government structures. Created for a British history series, the image emphasizes both the military triumph of Britain and the shocking vulnerability of the young American republic, making it one of the earliest published visual records of the only time a foreign power occupied Washington, D.C.