1895 Norris Bird's-eye VIew of Newport, New Hampshire

A striking 1895 George E. Norris lithograph view of Newport, a historic town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire. The view looks on Newport from a fictional highpoint to the south. At center the conjunction of various branches of the Sugar River and the town's urban center. To the northwest of the town center the famous Corbin Covered Bridge (today a replica stands here), is recognizable for its tall narrow frame. Another covered bridge, just south of the Sugar River convergence, passes out of town on Elm (today's Maple) Street. Other Newport landmarks on the map include the Court House, Town Hall, Railroad Depot, First Burying Ground, Phenix Hotel, Newport House, Flannel Mills, Kimball's Machine Shop, and the Newport Union Carriage Factory.

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. While before the rise of lithography, the ability to own and display artwork in the home was largely limited to the extremely wealthy, 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 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 view was issued in 1895 by George E. Norris. It is the last of three bird's-eye views of Newport were issued in the 19th century. The first appeared in 1857 by Henry P. Moore and L. H. Bradford. The second was issued by Ruger and Stoner in 1877. This, the third and last was issued by George E. Norris in 1895. All are extremely rare. We note only one other surviving example of this view, cataloged with the collections of the New Hampshire Historical Society.