A reproduction, dating to 1835, of the 1722 Map of Boston by John Bonner. This is one of my favorite maps. The detail is incredible, including all the churches, all the buildings, the fortifications at Boston Gate, and even the one mile stone and the “gallows.” Click on the map- a larger map will pop up that you can enlarge even more to take a closer look and appreciate the detail. I have this map framed on the wall in my office. One of the earliest versions of the map can be found here. Thanks to Carl Zimba for alerting me to the various ‘versions’ of the original map.
Citation:
Bonner, John, ca. 1643-1726, Dewing, Francis, fl. 1716-1722, Smith, George Girdler, Price, William, fl. 1725-1769, and Fuller, Stephen P.. “The town of Boston in New England.” Map. 1835. Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center, https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:3f4631769 (accessed July 21, 2019).
This is not the original 1722 version of the Bonner map. The State 1 map does not have the attribution to William Price at the bottom. Price gained the rights to reproduce the map after the original was published by Bonner. There are at least nine states, or versions, of this map where each has been updated to reflect changes in Boston over the years. This looks like a modified version of the 1835 reproduction. The Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library has a version that is probably the second oldest, “a previously unrecorded state” dated between 1723 and 1733, and it has the attribution to Price at the bottom.
PermalinkThanks for the comment. I am, however, a bit confused as the map I have on my page came originally from the Leventhal collection and DOES seem to have the Price attribution you suggest is missing. Perhaps I have made a mistake with a link or something? I can’t really figure out why my map is not the ‘original’ map. I would like to correct it if you still see a fault. The one thing I did do, thanks to your comment, is to place a citation on the page to correctly attribute it to the Leventahl Collection, something I overlooked.
PermalinkThe Price attribution at the bottom of your image indicates that it is NOT the First State version of this map. The First State was published solely by Bonner. The only known original copy of this First State is held by the New York Public Library. Price obtained the rights to publish the map after 1723. In addition, the hand-written notation at the top of your image is dated 1835, which suggests that it is one of the versions that was printed from the Third State. Note that this 1835 note is not on the Leventhal map dated to 1723-1733. Leventhal also has two copies of the 1835 printing, both of which have the hand-written note and a typeset attribution with a 1835 date. Leventhal also has a few other States of this map with various dates.
PermalinkGot it. I got your original meaning backwards. I accept that the map I have on my site is a later version, albeit almost identical to the earliest map to which you sent me the link. I know that the map was greatly modified in 1769 as well, a version of which I also have on my wall, and which I find useful for looking at the slow evolution of the town of Boston in the colonial era.
Thanks for your attention to the details of the evolution of the original map. I kept the map I originally posted, with edited text, and included a link to the map at the New York Public Library.
Hopefully you found the content of my essays interesting. I appreciate any critiques.
All the best,
Gary
PermalinkHi! Just wondering where you got the copy you have hanging in your office. I’d love to have one for my home.
PermalinkHi Amber, sorry about the delay. I purchased my copy at the old National Park Service Visitor Center Bookstore at 15 State Street. The VC is now in the basement of Faneuil Hall. I’m not sure if they have a bookstore there as well. Regardless, I am sure you can pick one up online, for instance here: http://www.historicmapworks.com/Buy/Prints/US/1569075/
PermalinkGood luck! thanks for taking a look at my project.
Thank you so very much!
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