John Bute Holmes (March 31, 1822 - May 21, 1887) was an Irish civil engineer, city surveyor, and mapmaker based in New York City in the middle to latter 19th century. Holmes was described as a 'short, stout man, with curly gray hair, a smooth face, and a short, thick neck.' Holmes' father-in-law supplied funds for him to immigrate to America in 1840 and shortly thereafter, in 1844, he established himself in New York City. He briefly returned to Europe before once again settling in New York City in 1848. Apparently, according to several New York Times articles dating to the 1870s, Holmes was a man of dubious personal and moral character. He was involved in several legal disputes most of which were associated with his outrageous - even by modern standards - womanizing. In 1857 he was convicted of forgery of a marriage document and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor at Sing Sing, of which he served 5 before wealthy associates interceded on his behalf for an early release. Holmes seems to have been married to several different women at the same time and to have had an unfortunate attraction to exceptionally young women - one of whom, 16 year old May Chamberlayne claimed to be his wife and sued him for 50,000 USD. On another occasion he was found guilty of killing Brooklyn policeman David Gourly with whose wife he 'had been intimate.' Another woman, Miss Abrams, who he hired as a housekeeper, was repeatedly attacked by Holmes and ultimately driven to madness and was consigned to Bellevue Hospital, where she died. Although he attempted to flee the country rather than face conviction for 4th degree manslaughter, he was ultimately arrested and served one year in prison. During the American Civil War he ran for Alderman of the First Ward, in New York. Despite his legal issues, Holmes was a man of considerable means, with a personal fortune estimated between 100,000 and 500,000 USD - a significant sum in the late 19th century. Much of his wealth is associated with a series of important cadastral maps produced between 1867 and 1875 while he was employed as a surveyor and civil engineer under the corrupt Tweed regime. When Holmes died of an 'apoplectic fit' there was considerable wrangling over his estate among his 7 heirs and 11 children. The cream of his estate where his maps, some of which were valued at more than 30,000 USD in 1887. Holmes lived on a large farm-estate in Fanwood New Jersey. More by this mapmaker...

Gustav Braeunlich (May 17, 1837 - January 15, 1923) was a German-Russian artist, lithographer, and engraver active in New York during the middle to late 19th century. Braeunlich was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and was of German-Saxon-Russian descent. His father was a Bishop in the Russian Orthodox Church. As a young man he served in the Russian army and saw action in the Crimean War. Census records suggest Braeunlich immigrated to the United States in 1860, settling in Brooklyn and studying art at Cooper Union, where he won several awards. It is not clear when he partnered with his younger cousin, Herman Braeunlich, to establish the engraving and lithographing firm G. Braeunlich and Co., but it was active from at least the 1862. The firm had multiple offices. The first may have been at 85 White Street, Brooklyn. In 1877 he was based at 58 Maiden Lane, Manhattan, where he shared the premises with cousin Herman Braeunlich (November 11, 1843 - August 3, 1916) and relative William Brauenlich. The firm relocated to 39 West Broadway in 1880. During his most active period Braeunlich engraved maps for John B Holmes, Tobacco Revenue stamps for the U.S. Treasury Department, and presidential campaign materials for Samuel Tilden. Braeunlich and his family, including Herman, lived in the same residence at 250 East 73rd at 3rd Ave, Brooklyn. Their name alternatively appears as 'Braunlich' and 'Breunlich'. After Gustav retired Herman maintained the business until at least 1910 from 86th Fulton Street, Manhattan. Gustav was the nephew of an important Brooklyn physician of the same name. Learn More...