Antique Map of Washington and District of Columbia, John Russell, London 1795

Description: MAP 206Large Map of Washington and the District of Columbia, John Russell, London 1795Antique Map: Plan of Washington, D.C. John Russell London 1795 NOTE: I fell (again) last week and will be 87 (God willing) in three weeks. My wife (and I) are anxious to find homes for the treasures we have collected in our 56 years of marriage. The day after I fell, I offered this map to an Auction House for consignment. They MAY list it and might sell it (hammer price) for $4,000. And IF they do, (a) the buyer will have to pay 25% more: $5,000, and (b) I will get 10% less: $3,600. Do you want to make me an offer that – even with eBay’s fees to me -- is fair – and saves YOU some money? Special Features: Very early map of what was to become the District of Columbia, the “Seat of the Empire”The Land came from George WashingtonThe Plan came from his aide de camp’ Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant Washington personally supervised the establishment of what is now “The District of Columbia” George Washington “retired” in 1783, but was very active re the “Residence Act of 1790."…Quote from the Mount Vernon Museum: “In July 1790, Congress passed the Residence Act which called for the permanent capital of the United States to be located on the Potomac River (the future Washington D.C.). “President Washington personally overlooked the building of what he once termed ‘the seat of Empire.’“He specified: the location of the ten-mile square federal district, the President's mansion (the White House), and the Capitol.” Quote from the website: MAP FORMUM “In the immediate aftermath of the Revolutionary War, one of the many problems faced by the new government was where to make its permanent seat, to be the capital of the new republic. Two cities, in particular, claimed the honour, New York and Philadelphia. However, neither city was sufficiently pre-eminent to claim the prize by right, and neither would give way to the other.“After much discussion, it was determined that a new city should be built, and an Act of Congress signed into law by Washington on 16th July 1790 enacted that a site on the Potomac River would become the new capital. Having chosen the site, Washington appointed an American engineer, Major Andrew Ellicott to survey and lay out the boundaries of the new Federal district. Ellicott received his instructions from Jefferson in a letter dated 2nd February 1791, and the course was completed by about September of the same year. It was intended that the plan should be published, but publication was not effected until 1794.“In the meantime, Washington appointed the French engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant to survey the land designated for the city, and to produce a ground plan worthy of the new country, intended to be compared with any of the great European cities. To this end, Jefferson supplied L’Enfant with plans of several European cities, so that he could extract the best features of each.“However, while the survey work continued, L’Enfant proved a difficult character, exasperating both Washington and Jefferson with his headstrong approach to solving problems, and dealing with interests of individuals affected by his grand scheme. One problem was that part of the construction costs were to be met by selling parcels of land within the city boundaries, and yet the sales started before the ground plan had been completed, and the boundaries of these parcels of land properly established on the ground.“In the end, Washington lost patience with L’Enfant, who was dismissed in 1792. L’Enfant was replaced by Ellicott. However, in picque, L’Enfant refused to hand over any of his survey work, so Ellicott was forced to reconstruct the plan from his own working notes and recollections. Ellicott’s manuscript plan of the city is in the Library of Congress, although it is credited in the title to L’Enfant. It is thus difficult to know what parts of the finished plan is due to L’Enfant and how much credit is due to Ellicott.“Once the plan was completed, to general satisfaction, Ellicott was asked to arrange for its publication. Once a printed plan was in circulation, Washington and Jefferson felt it would be easier to encourage the necessary sale of land. Ellicott approached two engravers in Philadelphia, James Thackara and John Vallance, who agreed to engrave the plate. However, apparently for political reasons, the two men dallied on their commission. They originally promised delivery in eight weeks, but did not produce proofs until July, and completed impressions until November. While they may have been extremely dilatory in producing the full-size version, Thackara and Vallance were quick to engrave a small version of the plan, which takes precedence as the first printed plan of Washington, issued in the Universal Asylum And Columbian Museum in March 1792“Whether as a precaution or in frustration with the delay, Jefferson asked Samuel Blodgett Jr. to arrange to have a second version engraved. in May, Blodget employed Samuel Hill, a Boston engraver, to do the work. Hill also took the opportunity to engrave a smaller version for his own account, published in the Massachusetts Magazine, in May, but completed the folio plate by 25th June, when impressions were sent to Jefferson. The plate was sent to Washington in July, but miscarried, and mislaid until the middle of August. Hill’s plan was sent to a printer, and examples were in circulation for the second sale of land within the city, in October. The Thackara and Vallance plate was completed in November, and from then on examples were circulated widely, not only within the United States, but also in Europe, in the hope of stimulating overseas investment.“It is clear that the construction of Washington attracted widespread interest. With the two Philadelphia and two Boston maps (the “official” folio version and the smaller “pirate” version) acting as prototypes, a series of derivatives were issued, ranging from New York to London, Amsterdam, Gotha and Vienna. “The, in 1800, when Washington officially became capital, two commemorative plans were issued printed on cloth, again drawing on Ellicott’s work, but printed from plates specially prepared for the occasion.References:“This short note, and checklist, are based on Coolie Verner. Surveying and mapping the new Federal City: the first printed maps of Washington, DC (Imago Mundi, XXIII, 1969), p.59ff), where more detail is given about the background to the construction of Washington, L’Enfant’s survey work, and relations with the “Further background is given in Nelson R. Burr, The Federal City Depicted 1612 – 1801, in Walter Ristow (ed.) A La Carte Selected Papers on Maps and Atlases (Washington, Library of Congress, 1972), p.126ff.”>>>>>>>>>> My comment: You may recall that George Washington began his career as a surveyor. In fact, in 1966 when Nancy and I were first married, we bought a circa 1792 home in Alexandria, Virginia, just at the edge of the survey for that City that George provided 43 years earlier! You may also recall that part of George Washington’s success was to marry well. {As I have!} He married the widow Martha Custis, who brought with her considerable land. Much of that land was across the River. It was largely “swamp” unsuitable for farming, and ever opportunistic (as any competent politician would be), George Washington deeded that land to the Federal government after he retired from the Presidency. That land became “The District of Columbia” and George Washington himself worked on the survey for locating the White House and following the PLAN for the city which had been laid out by his former aide de camp, Pierre L’Enfant. "Peter" Charles L'Enfant was a French military engineer who in 1791 designed the basic plan for Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States.' George Washington retired in 1783 and died in 1799 (December 14). After the plan for the White House was set, Jedediah Morse issued a second version of his 1794 map - which had NOT included the name of “Washington” city. We also have THAT rare version of the Morse map for sale! [See Item 175614429531] Guest Editor: I, Harald Leuba, am listing this map on eBay with the permission of the eBay account holder, my wife of 56 years, Nancy Kingsbury, aka "Showjudge". She is worried about how to find homes for our "stuff" when I die -- > if I die before her. We have enjoyed living with this map in our collection, stored in a tube as it came from John Faupel.I kept it in the tube because we had a smaller, older map framed in the kitchen! Now, as I age, (I am now 86), I feel that I ought to protect this rolled map from becoming lost in some 2nd hand store and, more importantly, I need to protect Nancy from having to cope with how to harvest its reasonable value in a time of personal stress. [In other words: We are downsizing!]...... I bought this map from John Faupel, Antique Atlas, East Grinstead, UK some 25 years ago. It was his #155 in catalog 94. I have misplaced John's catalog. {Did I mention that I’m 86?] However: (a) John titled it: “Russell Plan of the City of Washington London 1795” If I put: Russell Plan of the City of Washington London 1795 [without quotes] Into Google:There are 1,450,000 hits! The First (2) are from Barry Lawrence Ruderman, Antique Maps, Inc, $4,500which he describes as: An Early Large Map of Washington and the District of Columbia“One of the earliest obtainable large format plans of the City of Washington, based upon Ellicott's original manuscript plan of the City.“Russell's map of Washington is the fourth earliest plan of the City of Washington, preceded only by the 2 official plans, published in 1792 and the first edition of John Reid's map. The first edition of Reid's map appeared in Winterbotham's An Historical Geographical, Commercial and Philosophical View of the United States, published in New York in 1795. Russell copied Reid's map in an edition of 1795 in London, with the engraver's name listed as John Russell. A second edition of Reid's map appeared in John Reid's American Atlas, published in New York in 1796.“The plan shows Georgetown, the street layout for Washington proper, President's House, Capitol, large green, etc. Attractive compass rose and a decorative cartouche. “A scarce and desirable early large format map of Washington.“On January 24, 1791, President George Washington announced the permanent location of the national capital, a diamond-shaped ten-mile tract at the confluence of the Potomac and Eastern Branch Rivers. The original survey was performed by Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Bannaker (a freed slave). In March of 1791, Major Pierre Charles L'Enfant was appointed by Washington to prepare a plan for the new city, with Andrew Ellicott serving as L'Infant's assistant. L'Enfant turned out to be difficult to work with, and Thomas Jefferson and Washington ultimately suspended L'Enfant's participation in the project in 1792.“Andrew Ellicott took over the project using, L'Enfant’s model as his base for completing the plan of the City. Philadelphia engravers James Thackera and John Vallance and Boston's Samuel Blodget Jr., were hired to produce engraved versions of Ellicott's manuscript plan. However, prior to the release of the large official plans, both engravers also engraved and printed a smaller version of the map. An edition of the map was also printed from Hill's map in red on linen, as a keepsake.As noted above, before the completion of the official editions of the map, smaller magazine versions of both maps, engraved by Hill and Thackara & Vallance, appeared in The Universal Asylum And Columbian Magazine (Thackara & Vallance, published March 1792) and the Massachusetts Magazine (Hill, published in about April 1792), thereby becoming the first and second printed maps of the City of Washington. The proof states of the larger official maps were not available until June and July of 1792.This map represents the first large format map of Washington to appear after the two editions of the so-called Official Map. The third hit is Geographicus Rare Maps ($4,000) TITLEPlan of the City of Washington in the Territory of Columbia ceded by the States of Virginia and Maryland tothe United States of America and by them established as the Seat of their Government after the Year 1800. 1795 (undated) 15.75 x 20.75 in (40.005 x 52.705 cm) 1 : 19800DESCRIPTIONThis is the 1795 Russell edition of Andrew Ellicott's seminal plan or map of Washington D.C., published prior to it becoming the capital of the United States in 1800. The map illustrates the original urban layout of Washington D.C, then only a small part of the District of Columbia. Centered on the confluence of the Potomac and the Eastern Branch (Anacostia) Rivers, the map covers the Washington D.C. grid as far north as W Street. It also includes the older nearby city of Georgetown.Forming the District of ColumbiaThe District of Columbia was created by the Residence Act of 1790, in which a 10-mile square parcel of land was partitioned off from Virginia and Maryland to establish a new city as the seat of the U.S. Federal Government. When this map was drawn, the national capital was still in the planning stages and most of what can been seen here was not yet developed. In 1792 when Ellicott drafted the plan, the confluence of the Potomac and the Anacostia was little more than a fetid swamp.A Grand, 'European' CapitalGeorge Washington engaged the French engineer, artist, and urban designer Pierre Charles L'Enfant (August 2, 1754 - June 14, 1825) to design the new capital. It was L'Enfant who laid out Washington D.C.'s iconic ray and grid street pattern. Ellicott, a well-respected American surveyor, was, in the meantime, hired on the recommendation of Thomas Jefferson to survey the boundary of the District of Columbia. While completing his project, Ellicott worked closely with L'Enfant, creating a vision of a grand capital on the European model, with large boulevards, public plazas, and dramatic vistas. L'Enfant and George Washington had a falling out in February 1792 over the printing of L'Enfant's plan. L'Enfant was fired and, in a fit of anger, refused to turn over his completed plans. Washington turned to Ellicott, who having worked closely with L'Enfant, was able to produce a close variant of the L'Enfant design, this map, which was ultimately used to construct the national capital city. It is of note that L'Enfant's name appears nowhere on this map and Ellicott takes all credit for the design, a clear slap in the face to the brilliant and temperamental Frenchman.Publication History and CensusThe present example, engraved in 1795 by John Russell based on the Thackara and Vallance edition of 1792, was intended for inclusion in H. D. Symonds' An American Atlas. Examples also appear in Winterbotham's A historical, geographical, commercial and philosophical view ... printed in London that same year. Perhaps a dozen examples appear cataloged separately in OCLC.CARTOGRAPHERSAndrew Ellicott (January 24, 1754 – August 28, 1820) was an American cartographer, surveyor, and statesman active in the late 18th and early 29th centuries. He is best known for his work surveying the boundaries of Washington D.C. and completing Pierre Charles L'Enfant's plan for said city. Ellicott was born to a Pennsylvania Quaker family in Buckingham, Bucks County. He was educated at the local Quaker School where he exhibited an early aptitude for mechanics and mathematics. In 1770 his father, Joseph Ellicott (1732–1780), and uncles Andrew Ellicott (1733 – 1809) and John Ellicott (December 28, 1739 – December 28, 1794), purchased land on the Patapsco River with where they relocated and established a milling business, naming the town Ellicott Mills, today's Ellicott City, Maryland. With the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, Ellicott joined the Maryland Elk Ridge Battalion as a commissioned Lieutenant. During the course of the war he reached the rank of Major, which he maintained as an honorific even after the war. From 1791 to 1792, at the request of then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Ellicott began to survey the boundaries of the newly established District of Columbia. During this same period, he also surveyed, with French urban planner Pierre Charles L'Enfant (August 2, 1754 – June 14, 1825), the future city of Washington, which then occupied only a small potation of territory reserved for the District of Columbia. In February of 1792 the Commissioners had a falling out with L'Enfant after which L'Enfant refused to submit a copy of his plan for Washington D.C. Ellicott, being familiar with Ellicott's methods and style, completed the plan, creating thus the plan upon the nation's capital was subsequently built. In additional to his work in Washington D.C., Ellicott laid out the plan for the city if Erie, Pennsylvania and from 1796, worked on the Spanish-American border in the Gulf Coast, establishing Ellicott's Line, the modern-day border between Alabama and Florida. In 1803 he mentored Meriwether Lewis, one of the leaders of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, on field survey techniques. From 1813 he taught mathematics at the Military Academy at West Point. The final significant survey he completed was the resurvey of the Collins-Valentine Line between Quebec, New York, and Vermont. Three years later he died from a stroke at West Point. Learn More... John Russell (c. 1750 - 1829) was a British cartographer active in London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Russell apprenticed as a goldsmith under William Palmer before turning to engraving and printing. He drew maps and engraved for several major publishers of his period including Alexander Dalrymple, Benjamin Henry, Robert Sayer, John Moore, and William Guthrie. Russell's 10 apprentices included such prominent cartographers as Alexander Findlay and Samuel Clapp. Russell was based on Constitution Row Grays Inn Lane, Middlesex (London). Learn More...SOURCEAn American Atlas (London: H.D. Symonds and J. Ridgeway) 1795. CONDITIONGood condition. Reinforced splitting on some folds, left margin extended with reinstatement of border. Mended tear at top with some loss to border, not affecting map content. There is a fourth “hit” at the George Galzer Gallery: Map, Washington, D.C., Ellicott, Russell, Antique Print, London, 1795 (Sold)This item is sold. It has been placed here in our online archives as a service for researchers and collectors..Andrew Ellicott (1754-1820) (after) John Russell (act. 1733-1795) (engraver) Plan of the City of Washington in the Territory of Columbia from An American Atlas H.D. Symonds and J. Ridgeway, London: 1795 Black and white engraving, with brown tint highlights 15.75 x 20.75 inches, including border 17.5 x 22.25 inches, overallPlan of Washington, D.C., showing the layout of streets and avenues, bordered by the “Potomack” (Potomac) River and the Eastern Branch. Georgetown is separately labeled, northwest of Rock Creek. and Reedy Branch and Tiber Creek are shown to the north. Maryland and Virginia are indicated but not shown in any detail. Each block is numbered, and the footprints (planned location and form) of a few major buildings including the “Capitol” and the “Presidents House” are labeled. The proposed landscape design for the Mall is indicated in more detail. The direction of the currents in the major rivers are indicated with arrows, the soundings in various locations are indicated by numbers, and a text titled “Remarks” in the upper left discusses the elevation of various locations in relation to the tide of Tiber Creek and how water could be provided to the city. Proposed contours of docks and slips are shown along the rivers. The map is decorated with a cartouche showing two winged female figures flanking a shield and book on the left and an eight-pointed compass indicator surmounted by a fleur de lis, upper right. It includes a distance scale lower right and a distance “Scale of Poles” lower left.And: there is a fifth hit at Swann Galleries: (also sold)(WASHINGTON, D.C.) Russell, John. Plan of the City of Washington in the Territory of Columbia. Engraved folding plan on wove paper watermarked "JWhatman 1794". 16 1/2x21 inches sheet size, right margin narrow; archivally backed on heavier paper stabilizing old folds, minor losses. London, 1795 >>>>> Guide to the Photographs in the Listing Gallery Above Photographs #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 and #6 are of OUR map. Photo #1 is the whole map Photo #2 is the Title Cartouche – note that 1800 refers to the tehn future. Photo #3 is the “Remarks” in the upper right hand corner of the map. Photo #4 is the White House - RIGHT WHERE GEORGE WASHINGTON PUT IT! Photo #5 is the BACK side of the whole map – note the fold marks and. Photo #6 is also of the BACK of the map, opposite the “Remarks”; it shows the archival mending tape closing a tear that it invisible on the front of the map! Photo #7 is a download of the map that Barry Lawrence Ruderman, Antique Maps. Inc. had for sale.Photo #8 is a download of the map GEOGRAPHICUS had for sale,Photo #9 is a download of State 1 of this map @ the Rumsay Map CollectionPhoto #10 is a download from Barry Lawrence Ruderman showing the map IN THE BOOK. My comment: If you are interested enough in maps to be considering an original one of this value, you know that the plates for antique maps were often reused/reprinted/-recycled/revised and that there are many different (related) versions available today. You will also know that maps were not usually stand-alone images. They appeared in bibles, histories, and even in atlases! Last October, Barry Ruderman came to our house to look at our maps with a view to his acquiring the whole collection. He was warmly professional and lived up to his reputation for expertise. He said that our maps had been well cared for and were in good condition. He put an estimated market value on this map of $4,500.--> if he were to offer it for sale in his business. {Of course, since he has to make a profit in his business, he did not offer us that much!} And, of course, he SOLD the copy he had listed at that price. Take a look at our photos:and Buy it Now, or make an offer......Our map has not been framed. Our map is uncolored, as issued.The image is clear and clean; Ø the fold lines exist– and are especially obvious on the back of the map;Ø there is a closed (invisible) tear, repaired on the back with archival tape; See Photo #6Ø that “tear” may have occurred when the map was removed from the atlas;Ø the margins are full, except for the lower right corner which was trimmed (outside the map frame) when the map was removed from the atlas. (cf Photo #6 & #10) The map will frame beautifully! Please help us find a new home for this treasure. Thank you for looking. Harald & Nancy P.S. Inflation? NO! When I bought my first map, there was silver in our US coinage. When I was in college, I could buy a gallon of gas for a silver quarter and mail a letter home for 4ç. I can STILL buy a gallon gas for the value of that silver quarter, but postage is now 60ç. Antique maps have doubled in price in the last ten years. Are they a store of value? I think so, but whether they are or not, they can be a permanent source of pleasure. P.P.S We are using the proceeds of this sale, not to add “dollars” to our bank account, but to support local charities (to help neighbors who have lost income due to covid)! We hope you enjoy your purchase, and get warm feelings from helping others.

Price: 4500 USD

Location: Potomac, Maryland

End Time: 2025-01-03T16:50:07.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD