1896 Berutich Hotel America Spanish Map of New York City

Quite a rare discovery, this 1896 two color lithograph map of New York City was issued by Arturo T. Berutich for use by Spanish speaking guests of the Hotel America. Oriented to the West, the map covers Manhattan south of 96th Street as well as adjacent parts of Brooklyn and Queens. The map prominently identifies the location of the Hotel America, for whose guests this map was an obsequio or gift. Additionally, it identifies all major streets and avenues, piers, ferry lines, parks, and public buildings. Cable Car lines are highlighted in red. The verso offers advertisements for various Spanish speaking business in New York.

Hotel America was a popular chain of at least three hotels (Paris, New York, Chicago) owned by Arturo T. Berutich and E. Spinetti. The hotels catered to European tourists and business people, particularly from Spain and France. They also advertised in Latin American countries where they promoted their expertise in Spanish. The New York branch was located on 15th Street at Irving Place. Sometime between 1915 and 1922 the hotel relocated to 145 – 155 West 47th Street.