1854 Spindler View of Boston, Massachusetts

This is an 1854 Bernard Spindler low-perspective bird's-eye view of Boston, Massachusetts. The view looks northwards towards Boston from Telegraph Hill, in modern-day South Boston. In the foreground, elegant citizens promenade over Telegraph Hill. On the left, a young woman with a telescope observes the city. Urban Boston occupies the foreground. As this map predates most major landfill initiatives, the Mill Dam and Boston Neck are evident at left. Elegant church spires fill the horizon. The curve of Boston Harbor, full of ships of commerce is evident at center right. Smoke billows from multiple tall stacks, at the time a sign of economic prosperity (as opposed to pollution). South Boston, just in front of Telegraph Hill, is full of well-appointed yet modest New England homes.

American Bird's-Eye City Views

The tradition of the bird's-eye city view emerged in the United States in the middle part of the 19th century and coincided with the commercial development of lithographic printing. While before the rise of lithography, the ability to own and display artwork in the home was largely limited to the extremely wealthy, lithographic printing made it possible for everyone to own visually striking artwork. A robust trade developed in portraits of political leaders, allegorical and religious images, and city views.

City views were being produced in the United States as early as the 1830s, but the genre exploded after the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). Bridging the gap between maps and pictures, most 19th century American Bird's-eye views presented cities to the public high vantage points. Some were imagined, but others were drawn from hot-air balloons or nearby hills. The presentation, combining high elevation, commercial interest, and new printing technology created a uniquely American art form, as described by historian Donald Karshan,

Some print connoisseurs believe that it was only with the advent of the full-blown city-view lithograph that American printmaking reached its first plateau of originality, making a historical contribution to the graphic arts. They cite the differences between the European city-view prints and the expansive American version that reflects a new land and a new attitude toward the land.

The vogue for bird's-eye city views lasted from about 1845 to 1920, during which period some 2,400 cities were thus portrayed, some multiple times. Although views were produced in many urban centers, the nexus of view production in the United States was Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The major American viewmakers were Stoner, Wellge, Bailey, Fowler, Hill, Ruger, Koch, Burleigh, Norris, and Morse, among others.

Publication History and Census

This view was drawn by Bernard Spindler and published by Tappen and Bradford in 1854. We note a single example cataloged in OCLC, part of the collection at the Boston Athenaeum. Scarce.