Description:
In 1835, George Girdler Smith (1795-1878), an engraver, re-issued the 1722 Bonner map of Boston. This re-issue is identical in size and engraving, altered only by the addition of the new publisher's imprint and the certification of the city surveyor. The facsimile map, based on the Bonner map in the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society (the third state of the map probably printed in 1725), includes the following note of authenticity by Stephen P. Fuller, a surveyor, "I have examined this plan and find it to be an exact copy of the original." Another note on the map reads, "Engraved from a copy in the possession of Wm. Taylor Esq." This printed map of Boston has the inscription, "The Town of/ Boston/ in/ New England/ by/ Capt John Bonner/1722", "Engraved from a copy in the possession of Wm. Taylor Esq ... " "Sold by Capt. John Bonner and Willm. Price against ye Town House where may be had all sorts of prints, mapps &c." Oriented with north toward the upper right. Includes an index to points of interest and chronological lists of "Great Fires" and "Genll. small pox."
Label Text:
This is an 1835 re-issue of the first and most important plan of the city of Boston, which was first
published by John Bonner in 1722. This facsimile was published by city engineer George G. Smith. It
is the earliest and most faithful re-issue of Bonner's famous plan which was frequently republished
during the 18th and 19th centuries. The addition of dates, new streets, and buildings give clues for
determining the states of the various re-issues. This re-issue is identical in size and engraving, altered
only by the addition of the new publisher's imprint and the certification of the city surveyor.
In 1835, George Girdler Smith (1795-1878), an engraver, re-issued the 1722 Bonner map of Boston. The facsimile map, based on the Bonner map in the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society (the third state of the map probably printed in 1725), includes the following note of authenticity by Stephen P. Fuller, a surveyor, "I have examined this plan and find it to be an exact copy of the original." Another note on the map reads, "Engraved from a copy in the possession of Wm. Taylor Esq." The 1835 version of the map also includes alterations to the topography of Boston since the first printing of Bonner's map in 1722. The map does not reflect changes made to the Mill Pond area near the North End which the city filled in 1804 with earth taken from Beacon Hill. The map includes an index to points of interest and chronological lists of "Great Fires" and "Genll. small pox." The facsimile map mistakenly states Bonner's age as 60, rather than 80, as appears on the third state of the map, circa 1725.
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2024.1 |
