Memoir, prepared at the request of a committee of the Common council of the city of New York, and presented to the mayor of the city, at the celebration of the completion of the New York canals

Collection History

The major source for the images in this digital presentation-the Phelps Stokes Collection of American historical prints and early views of American cities-came to the Library in 1930 as a gift of the architect and historian Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes (1867-1944). It includes more than 800 prints, drawings, and maps produced over a period of four centuries, from the earliest European discoveries of the West Indian islands through the 19th century. The selection also includes some 30 images from the assemblage of New York City views donated to the Library in 1922 by Amos F. Eno (1836-1915) and a few items from the collection of American historical prints accumulated by Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet (1828-1919) and presented to the Library in 1896. Lastly, a few other items not found in these collections also appear, such as an 1814 view of New Archangel, Alaska from the Rare Book Division, and the Hudson River Portfolio of 1820 views, from the Spencer Collection.

Background

The images in this collection, comprising an incomparable visual narrative of the development of the Americas and especially the territory that became the United States, offer a rich visual resource for the student of American history, architecture, urban growth, costume, transportation, and much else. The documentation of the rise of New York City is particularly strong.

The Print Collection of the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints, and Photographs holds the works from The Phelps Stokes Collection, the Eno Collection of New York City Views and the Emmet Collection. The basis for the selection of images in this presentation, Gloria Gilda Deák's 1988 monograph, Picturing America, is an extensive catalog of the holdings of American historical prints in the Print Collection and other divisions of the Library, with essays and notes not included in this digital version.

Related Resources

Deák, Gloria Gilda. Picturing America, 1497-1899: Prints, Maps, and Drawings Bearing on the New World Discoveries and on the Development of the Territory That Is Now the United States. (1988)

Stokes, I. N. Phelps and Daniel C. Haskell. American Historical Prints: Early View of American Cities, etc., from the Phelps Stokes and Other Collections. (1933)

Collection Data

Names
Stone, William L. (William Leete) (1792-1844) (Author)
Colden, Cadwallader D. (Cadwallader David) (1769-1834) (Author)
Catlin, George, 1796-1872 (Illustrator)
Imberts Lithographic Offices Lithographic Office (Lithographer)
Dates / Origin
Date Issued: 1825
Place: New York
Publisher: Printed by order of the corporation of New York
Library locations
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection
Shelf locator: MEZO (Colden, C. D. Memoir)
Topics
Erie Canal (N.Y.)
Genres
Books
Prints
Illustrations
Maps
Plans
Portraits
Correspondence
Notes
Content: Print Division owns a second copy, a presentation volume which is not extra-illustrated.
Content: The 2 volumes are extra-illustrated.
Citation/reference: Deák 339
Content: Appendix, containing an account of the commemoration of the completion of the Erie canal: p. [103]-288.
Content: Narrative of the festivities observed in honor of the completion of the grand Erie canal: p. [289]-408.
Content: Paper label (the crest of the city arms) on cover; paper title label on spine.
Content: Shoemaker 20118.
Statement of responsibility: By Cadwallader D. Colden.
Physical Description
Extent: V, [5], [3]-408, [1] p. [46] leaves of plates : ill., maps, plans (some fold., some col.) ; 27 cm.
Type of Resource
Still image
Text
Identifiers
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b12690975
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 2ad23250-c645-012f-edf8-58d385a7bc34
Show filters Hide filters
181 results found