Atlas of the City of Cincinnati, Ohio

Mapping the Queen City during the Gilded Age.

This unfortunately incomplete atlas of Cincinnati, Ohio offers an unprecedented snapshot of the city in the mid-1880s, during a period of intense industrial development and social unrest.  Each of the double-page maps provides a detailed overview of the depicted ward or section. Buildings are outlined and colored according to their construction material – yellow for wood, pink for brick/stone, and brown for iron. Large landowners (past and present, where applicable) are named, along with subdivisions, parks, and cemeteries. Locations of interest include the Cincinnati Base Ball Grounds (Crosley Field), several large breweries, the University of Cincinnati, and Eden Park.

The hand-colored sheets were engraved by A.H. Mueller, with lithography performed by the firm by F. Bourquin. Compiled and designed by Elisha Robinson and R.H. Pidgeon between 1883 and 1884. Published by Robinson in New York in 1884. The Courthouse Riots, one of the most destructive in American history, erupted the same year as printing. Starting in the 1870s, Elisha Robinson (1832-1912) and his publication firm issued several real estate and fire insurance atlases covering New York City and other major urban areas like Chicago, Detroit, and Denver. The large scale and attention to detail make the maps invaluable primary sources for historians, genealogists, urban planners, and more.