Search Results: Titles starting with V from BICKERSTAFF'S BOOKS, MAPS &C.

Contemporary Image of the First Capitol of the United States
In September, 1788, Congress selected New York City as the temporary site of the new government. "The citizens of New York, desirous of testifying their attachment to the new national government, and of making their city the place of permanent residence of the Federal Legislature, have enlarged and repaired their city Hall, and made it a convenient and elegant structure, worthy of the respectable body for whose use it is designed." (Columbian Magazine, p. 473).
The conversion of City Hall to the "Federal Edifice," or Federal Hall, was directed by L'Enfant at a cost of $65,000. The Executive offices, the Senate and House chambers and the Supreme Court were all housed in this building. It was the nation's first Capitol under the Constitution. Although New York City's tenure as the new nation's capital was brief (lasting only until 1790), Federal Hall was the site of several highly significant historic events. Washington's inauguration… Read More

Harvard College -- "the earliest engraving of the College which one may reasonably hope to obtain"

This engraving, entitled "View of the ancient Buildings belonging to Harvard College, Cambridge, New-England," appeared in the December, 1788 issue of The Columbian Magazine. Bail notes that the view is based on the Burgis-Price print of 1743, which in turn was a slight modification of the Burgis view of 1726. The view, taken from a point in front of the present Johnston Gate, shows three College buildings in 1726, from left to right: the second Harvard College, the first Stoughton Hall and the still-standing Massachusetts Hall. Although unsigned, the engraving is undoubtedly the work of James Trenchard, a co-owner of The Columbian Magazine and the engraver of nearly all the plates which appeared in it. Of the
Columbian Magazine view, Bail states: "In spite of the fact that the print is solely an adaptation, it is important because of its early appearance and relative scarcity. This is the earliest… Read More

A wonderful view of Boston published in early 1775, just before the battles at Lexington and Concord would ignite the American Revolution.

The view is derived directly from the view by Governor Thomas Pownall ("drawn on the spot by His Excellency") that was engraved by P. Canot in about 1768. The date depicted in the view is about 1758. Stokes and Haskell describe the view as: "taken from Castle William afterwards known as Fort Independence." The Library of Congress record for the view indicates it is taken from Cambridge looking across the Charles River." (We agree with the latter assessment.)
References: See Stokes & Haskell, American Historical Prints: B-86 for the Pownall view. See also Cresswell, The American Revolution in Drawings and Prints: 523 for the Pownall view.Condition: Old fold lines. Light spotting/foxing; otherwise very good. Matted.

[ICN 3733.].

This 18th century depiction of the battle of Bunker Hill (actually, Breed's Hill) shows four British ships in the foreground, while a British battery on Copp's Hill in Boston fires rockets into Charlestown, which is seriously on fire. A wonderfully evocative view of a signature event at the very beginning of the American Revolution. Reference: Cresswell,
The American Revolution in Drawings and Prints: 253 Condition: Light foxing and soiling with roughness at lower edge where removed from the volume; otherwise very good.[ICN 7559.]

This engraving of the lighthouse at Cape Henlopen is the first image of a lighthouse to appear in an American magazine. Indeed, we believe this is one of the earliest American images of a lighthouse one can hope to obtain.

The Cape Henlopen light was completed in 1767 and first lit in 1769. This view, according to the caption, was drawn in 1780. It was published in the February, 1788 issue of The Columbian Magazine. Although the engraving plate is not signed, the engraver was likely James Trenchard, one of the proprietors of the Magazine. This wonderful early American image has survived longer than its subject -- the lighthouse depicted collapsed in 1926 due to erosion.

References: Lewis: A Guide to Engravings in American Magazines, 1741-1810: p. 4. Stauffer, American Engravers Upon Copper and Steel: 3293. Condition: Occasional, mostly very light foxing and a small stain at lower left in the margin; otherwise very good.

Scarce Contemporary Stony Point Battle PlanThis rather crude woodcut depicts a battle plan of General "Mad Anthony" Wayne's daring and dramatic capture of the British fortification at Stony Point, about 30 miles up the Hudson River from New York City. The battle, planned in detail by Washington, took place around midnight on July 16, 1779. The lower portion of the battle plan includes a four item key: "A. The British Fortress, B. Abattes [abatis] in front, C. The Reserve, D. The detached Party who stormed the Works." Nebenzahl's A Bibliography of Printed Battle Plans of the American Revolution, 1775-1795 cites only a 1784 London-printed battle plan by Faden for the Stony Point engagement (#145). The offered plan is not noted by Nebenzahl, was published in America and was issued five years earlier than the Faden plan. (The Bickerstaff's Boston Almanack for 1780 would almost certainly have been published in November or December of 1779 – within six months of the actual battle.) A very… Read More

A wonderful example of one of the first maps of the Virgin Islands published in the United States. It appeared in Lucas' General Atlas containing distinct maps of all the known countries in the world. The map portrays the area from the eastern portion of Puerto Rico to Anguilla, St. Martin and St. Kitts. Reference: David Rumsey Historical Map Collection: List no. 4584.081. Condition: Hand color. Extraction roughness at top margin, well away from the neatline. Very good.[ICN 7550.]

Colorful Revolutionary War-era View of Salem, Mass... sort ofThis is one of a series of engravings of Boston, New York, and a few other important American cities done as perspective views or "vues d'optique" around the time of the American Revolution. They were viewed with an "optical machine" (or "zograscope") that used a mirror and magnifying lens to approximate a three-dimensional image. The main title, "Vue de Salem," is printed as a mirror image; when viewed through the optical machine, it would appear correctly.These views were often fanciful and the exact location depicted here is not readily identifiable. Accuracy aside, this is a wonderful view of what a European artist thought Salem looked like during the American Revolution. The caption below the view notes that Salem has two harbors -- one for the summer and one for the winter. Reference: Cresswell, The American Revolution in Drawings and Prints: 481. [ICN 3699.]