1891 Railway Publishing Company City Plan or Map of Brooklyn, New York

This is an 1891 Railway Map and Publishing Company city map of Brooklyn, New York. Published only a few years before consolidation, Brooklyn appears with rich detail throughout, including labeled streets, elevated railways, and the Long Island Railroad.

A Closer Look

The Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad, South Brooklyn Railroad and Terminal Company, and the Brooklyn, Bath, and Westend Railroad are illustrated. Prospect Park is illustrated in detail as well, with paths throughout. Greenwood Cemetery is shaded green, and a detailed plan of the cemetery is included on the verso. Greenpoint, Williamsburg, South Brooklyn, Flatlands, and East New York are labeled. Piers along the East River are identified by owner, which include steamship companies, mail lines, stores, grain elevators, and other businesses. Ferry routes across the East River appear as dashed lines and are identified.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the Railway Map and Publishing Company in 1891. This is the only known example of the 1891 edition. In the OCLC, we note two examples of an earlier map by S. D. L. Taunton bearing the same title. This likely represents an earlier edition of the present map, as Taunton worked for the Railway Map and Publishing Company. However, Taunton absconded from New York in 1885 with numerous debts along with funds collected on behalf of the Railway Map and Publishing Company. Ironically, two of the maps on the verso (the plan of Greenwood Cemetery and the map of Coney Island) both bear Taunton copyrights.