1932 Freedman Bird's-Eye View SuperVue Map of New York City

This is a spectacular 1932 Edward V. Spofford / Samuel Freedman bird's-eye 'Supervue' map of New York City. Despite being issued at the height of the Great Depression, this view highlights New York City's resilience, prosperity, and multicultural dynamism.

A Closer Look

The view looks northwards on Manhattan from a presumptive point high above Governor's Island. Coverage stretches as far as Van Cortlandt Park, thus including much of the Bronx and parts of adjacent Queens, Brooklyn, and New Jersey. Important buildings appear in profile. Among them are bridges, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Station, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and more. Neighborhoods are labeled, including Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Chelsea, the Financial District, and the Theatre District. This last area, the Theater District, is further detailed via an inset in the lower left, in which specific theaters are named. Along the Hudson, passenger piers are labeled according to the carrier that operated them: White Star, Red Star, Cunard, Hudson River Night Line, etc. An index appears to the right and below the view. The verso offers an array of city-focused facts and trivia, as well as pointers regarding sightseeing highlights.

Publication History and Census

The view is the work of Edward V. Spofford, printed and published by Samuel Freedman. The present example is the 1932 edition, distinct for being much higher quality than subsequent editions. It is also the only edition to feature the Edward V. Spofford signature in the lower left - although Freedman maintained the copyright throughout the view's print run. Multiple editions followed until about 1940, most on glossy paper and reasonably common, but this is the first time we have encountered the 1932 edition, and it must be considered rare.