New York and Environs

Stunning bird’s eye view of New York City.

This is a magnificent panorama of New York City and the surrounding areas, issued in the 1869 edition of Joseph Shannon’s Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York. A sweeping view of Manhattan Island is contained within a decorative frame designed by William C. Rogers.

Directly adjacent to the frame are finely engraved labels identifying major cities and points of interest in Hoboken, Jersey City, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. Battery Point is clearly identifiable at the southern tip of the congested island and church steeples dominate the skyline. Numerous pleasure craft, paddle wheeled steamers and tall ships can be seen crowding the harbor. The immediate foreground contrasts sharply with this image of 19th century urbanization and industrialization and shows the tranquil countryside across the Hudson.

Shannon, along with his more popular competitor D.T. Valentine, issued a number of different encyclopedias about the city of New York between 1850 and 1870. Apart from maps and views, these dense publications included portraits and biographies of officials, city regulations, transportation information, history, and more.