1880 Reizenstein Manuscript Map of New Orleans Fire of 1788

This is a dramatic original c. 1880 manuscript map of 1788 Great Fire 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 1788 Great Fire, one of the most destructive disasters to befall 18th-century New Orleans. The report, survey, and map were significant in influencing late 19th-century efforts at New Orleans fire control.

A Closer Look

Oriented to the northeast, thus perpendicular to the Mississippi River, the view dramatically illustrates what is today the French Quarter of New Orleans, extending from Customshouse (Iberville Street) to Barracks Street and from the Mississippi to Burgundy Street. The church and Plaza de Armas are at center. The map names various important buildings, including the prison, government buildings, the Ursulines, military barracks, and the Royal Hospital.

Flames billow dramatically from an epicenter at the consecution of Toulouse and Chartres Streets, in the office of the Spanish military treasurer, Vicente José Núñez, who was in residence at the time. Núñez's ship is docked in the Mississippi.

New Orleans Fire of 1788

The Great New Orleans Fire of 1788 was a devastating conflagaration that destroyed much of the city on Good Friday, March 21, 1788, when New Orleans was under Spanish colonial rule. The fire began in the home of Don Vicente José Núñez, the treasurer of the Spanish colony, near Chartres Street and quickly spread due to strong winds, dry conditions, and the prevalence of flammable materials in the predominantly wooden buildings. With limited firefighting resources and the church bells silenced for Good Friday, the fire raged out of control for hours, ultimately consuming 856 of the city's 1,100 structures, including the Cabildo, St. Louis Church (the predecessor to today's St. Louis Cathedral), and most residential and commercial buildings. The disaster left over 80% of the city in ruins, displacing thousands of residents and crippling the local economy. Under Spanish governance, New Orleans was rebuilt with stricter fire codes, utilizing brick and tile materials and introducing the architectural style that still characterizes the French Quarter today. The fire marked a turning point in the city's history, reshaping its infrastructure and identity in the years to come.

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. These original drafts are both larger and more beautiful, in addition to being one of a kind. We do not know 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.