1880 Reizenstein Manuscript Map of New Orleans in 1849: Flood of Sauvé's Crevasse

This is an exceptional original c. 1880 manuscript map of New Orleans drafted by eccentric German-American civil engineer Baron Ludwig von Reizenstein for later publication in George E. Waring Jr.'s influential Report on the Social Statistics of Cities. It records the 1849 Sauvé Crevasse Flood, one of the most destructive natural disasters to befall 19th-century New Orleans. The report, survey, and map were significant in influencing late 19th-century efforts at New Orleans flood control. Unlike his other maps of New Orleans events, which were based on historical sources, Reizenstein likely witnessed this flood in person.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces roughly from the Pierre Sauvé plantation, where the levee breached, to Poland Street in the Bywater and from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain. It is centered on the modern-day low-lying district of Broadmore, where floodwaters reached their maximum depth of 6 feet. With meticulous shading, Reizenstein illustrates the breach at Sauvé Plantation, the Sauvé Crevasse, and the floodwaters, which penetrated the city as far as the Carondelet Canal (Old Basin Canal, filled in 1925). It meticulously maps surrounding terrain and drainage, including plant types, water channels, swamps, roads, canals, and more. Along the Mississippi, plantations are identified by the names of their owners. Within the city itself, streets are noted with care, as are significant buildings. The levy runs along the river.

This map was commissioned around 1880 for George E. Waring Jr.'s influential Report on the Social Statistics of Cities, which contains a much-reduced version in lithograph.

1849 Sauvé Crevasse Flood

The 1849 Sauvé Crevasse Flood was one of the most devastating natural disasters to strike New Orleans in the 19th century. The flood began on May 3, 1849, when a break occurred in the levee at the Pierre Sauvé Plantation, located upriver from the city (on the map at left). The crevasse, a term for a breach in a levee, unleashed the waters of the Mississippi River, inundating vast portions of New Orleans and its surrounding areas. Entire neighborhoods were submerged, with some areas remaining underwater for months. The flood displaced thousands of residents, particularly in the poorer parts of the city, exacerbating existing inequalities. The event underscored the city's precarious position as a low-lying settlement dependent on levees for protection and highlighted the inadequacies of the levee system at the time. In the aftermath, city officials and engineers intensified efforts to improve flood defenses, eventually leading to more centralized levee management and the establishment of drainage systems, which laid the groundwork for modern flood control in New Orleans.

The Waring Report

George E. Waring, Jr.'s Report on the Social Statistics of Cities, published in 1886, was a significant work commissioned in 1880 by the U.S. Census Bureau to document and analyze the social, economic, and environmental conditions of urban centers in the United States. The Report sought to provide a detailed statistical overview of urban life, examining topics such as public health, infrastructure, housing, sanitation, and demographics. Its publication reflected the growing concerns of the time regarding urbanization, industrialization, and their impact on public well-being. The Report had a lasting influence on urban reform and public policy, leading to the implementation of large-scale public works projects, including sewer systems and public housing initiatives. His focus on sanitation and public health provided the foundation for modern urban hygiene practices, and his data-driven approach to social analysis became a model for subsequent studies on urban life.

Publication History and Census

As L. Reizenstein's original manuscript map, this is unique. A reduced lithograph version of the map was published in George E. Waring Jr.'s Report on the Social Statistics of Cities. The Report contained this and several other maps by Reizenstein, the original drafts for which Geographicus also holds. Even printed examples of this map from the Report are very rare - just one example of the printed edition has appeared at auction, fetching 1000 USD, plus premium. These original drafts are both larger and more beautiful, in addition to being one of a kind. We do not know precisely when Waring commissioned Reizenstein to make the maps, but it must have occurred around 1880 when the Waring report was ordered as part of that year's census. As Waring notes in the report, the New Orleans section is the largest in the book, having been largely completed before the report was ordered. A one-of-a-kind record of New Orleans history.