1907 Walker Map and View of Charles River, Massachusetts

This is a beautiful 1907 bird's-eye view style pocket canoe map of Charles River, Massachusetts by the Boston map publisher George H. Walker. Printed with a multicolor lithograph process, Walker's view covers the winding Charles River from Waltham to Medway and includes Riverside, Newton, Wellesley, South Natick, Dover, Needham, Waban, Dedham, Medfield, Rockville and Highlandville. Several landmarks including the Waltham Watch Factory, Mount Feake Cemetery, Norumbega Park, Walker – Gordon Milk Farm and the Echo Bridge near Newton Upper Falls are also noted. Dams, bridges, lakes and pumping stations are identified. Walker also notes a number of railway lines and stations throughout. Walker is better known for his similar view maps of Boston Harbor - the present example is thus somewhat out of his focus area and very scarce. Published by Walker Lith. and Pub. Co., 400 Newbury St., Boston, Mass.

Cartographer

George Hiram Walker (January 4, 1852 - November 14, 1927) was a Boston based publisher of books, views, and maps active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Springfield, Vermont, Walker started his life as a dry goods merchant but developed an active interest in publishing during the early 1870s. Walker began publishing in 1878 when he partnered with an unknown New York Firm. Two years later, Walker brought the operation in house by partnering with his brother, Oscar W. Walker, in the opening of a lithography studio at 81 Milk Street, Boston. Shortly thereafter the firm expanded to new offices at 160 Tremont Street, Boston. The Walker brothers produced a large corpus of works, most of which focused on travel and tourism in New England. Walker also established the Walker-Gordon Milk Laboratory with Dr. Thomas Morgan Rotch and Gustave Gordon. This interesting investment was based on the premise that infant deaths could be avoided by providing higher quality milk. The company eventually became a great success, producing a high-quality cow milk that closely resembled human breast milk. In the process the Walker-Gordon laboratory developed many of the dairy health standards that are still with us today. Walker married Irene L. Loud on March 25, 1885.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Minor wear along original fold lines. Professionally flattened and backed with archival tissue. Accompanied by original cover.