1868 Laass Map and View the Waterworks West of Albany, New York

An oddity the likes of which we have never before seen, this is an innovative and stunning c. 1868 chromolithograph perspective bird's-eye view of the hills and waterworks to the southwest of Albany, New York. The view was drawn by the brilliant and ambitious German-American civil engineer Julius Caesar Laass. While city views were common after the American Civil War, it is unique to discover such a stunning large format chromolithograph illustrating an expansive, largely undeveloped, rural area. This view is thus both unique and innovative in this regard.

Coverage

The view looks northwest on Albany County from a presumptive location far above the Norman Kill. Coverage extends from Albany and the Hudson River southwest as far as French's Mill on the Normankill, roughly in the vicinity of the modern-day Watervliet Reservoir in Guilderland. It further extends northwest to meet the Mohawk River near modern-day Mohawk River Landing Park in Colonie. The view includes a train running on the Hudson River Line and, heading southwest, on part of the now-defunct Hudson-Delaware network.

The Waterworks Plan

By the early 1860s Albany had grown such that the existing city waterworks, constructed in 1830, was insufficient to meet demand. An ordinance passed by the State legislature on March 20, 1868, authorized the Albany Common Council to expand the city water supply considerably. Not only did it give the Common Council permission to seize lands under eminent domain, it also provided funding, expansive powers to appropriate public lands, and the right to raise stock.

The proposed plan, as developed by Albany Waterworks Chief Engineer S. H. Sweet, called for the construction of three new dams: on the east branch of the Hunger Kill, the west branch of the Hunger Hill, and on Kaikout Kill. These would create a trifecta network of reservoirs that would then connect to existing waterworks including the Rensselear Lake Reservoir and the Bleecker Reservoir (currently the site of Bleecker Stadium).

The project was enormous and required correspondingly enormous funds. In addition to state and city provided budgets, it also allowed the city to raise up to 500,000 USD (roughly 10,000,000 USD by today's standards but with far more buying power) from the general public by issuing 'Water Stock of the City of Albany.'

The plan was pursued aggressively from the second half of 1868 into 1869, when, hoping to attract more investors, the city raised the interest rate on the stock from 6 to 7% per annum. It was also around this time that this promotional chromolithograph was issued. Nonetheless, they were unable to garner sufficient support. In 1871, an alternative plan was offered to pump water from the Hudson River, which proved more economical and practical.

Why So Grand?

The majesty, size, workmanship, quality, and meticulous detail of this chromolithograph are immediately arresting. The quality of the work far exceeds any comparable contemporaneous promotional material. Even views promoting the Brooklyn Bridge pale in comparison. Some insight into this matter may be had by looking at Laass' only other cartographic work, a staggering 6.5 x 4.5 foot Bird's Eye View of Syracuse. The Laass Syracuse view is perhaps the largest and most impressive urban bird's-eye view issued in the 19th century. Laass clearly had a propensity for grandiosity and an obsession with detail that influenced his work irrespective of potential profitability.

Turtles all the way down…

The astute will notice the image of the globe resting on the back of a giant world turtle that also serves as a compass rose. The myth of the world turtle or cosmic turtle is best known from Hindu mythology, but the convention is not exclusive to India. The Leni Lenape peoples, an Iroquois nation that occupied the territory between the Delaware and Hudson Rivers, including the lands illustrated here, also had a World Turtle myth. By including the Lenepe world turtle here, Laass ties the land presented to the First Nations peoples who long defined it.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominate method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This present view is the only known example. It was drawn and possibly engraved by Julius Caesar Laass under the auspices of the Albany City Waterworks. It was probably a promotional vehicle for Albany City Water Stock. Although undated, the view must have been produced between 1868 and 1870, when the Albany Common Council was actively promoting the project and can date no later than 1871, when it was abandoned in favor of an alternative water supply from the Hudson River. The fact that no other examples are known, in any archive public or private, suggests this was a proof that never went into full production - a snapshot of a brief grand vision that never met with reality.