1887 Burleigh Bird's-Eye View of White Plains, New York

A fine example of Lucian Burleigh's extremely rare 1887 view of White Plains, New York. The map is oriented with northeast at top. It extends from Kensico Street (Now S. Kenisco Ave) to the conjunction of Banks Street and Fisher Avenue, and from the Bronx River to Old Post Road (Maple Ave). The viewpoint is from a low perspective somewhat southwest of the city. In an unusual exception to Burleigh's style, which restricts presentation to buildings and landscapes, and does not include people, animals, or carriages, the present map features a train entering the city from the southwest. Streets are labeled directly, and important buildings are identified numerically via a key in the lower margin. The view identifies five churches, public schools, the County Jail and Courthouse, a soldier's monument, and the railroad station.

American Bird's-Eye City Views

The tradition of the bird's-eye city view emerged in the United States in the middle part of the 19th century and coincided with the commercial development of lithographic printing. Before the rise of lithography, the ability to own and display artwork in the home was largely limited to the extremely wealthy, the advent of lithographic printing made it possible for everyone to own visually striking artwork. A robust trade developed in portraits of political leaders, allegorical and religious images, and city views.

City views were being produced in the United States as early as the 1830s, but the genre exploded after the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). Bridging the gap between maps and pictures, most 19th century American bird's-eye views presented cities to the public from high vantage points. Some were imagined, but others were drawn from hot-air balloons or nearby hills. The presentation, combining high elevation, commercial interest, and new printing technology, created a uniquely American art form, as described by historian Donald Karshan,

Some print connoisseurs believe that it was only with the advent of the full-blown city-view lithograph that American printmaking reached its first plateau of originality, making a historical contribution to the graphic arts. They cite the differences between the European city-view prints and the expansive American version that reflects a new land and a new attitude toward the land.

The vogue for bird's-eye city views lasted from about 1845 to 1920, during which period some 2,400 cities were thus portrayed, some multiple times. Although views were produced in many urban centers, the nexus of view production in the United States was Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The major American viewmakers were Stoner, Wellge, Bailey, Fowler, Hill, Ruger, Koch, Burleigh, Norris, and Morse, among others.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn and published by Lucian Burleigh. It is known in only three other examples, one housed at the Library of Congress, a second in the archive of the Pennsylvania State University, and a third in private hands.