Lot 133: One of the rarest Manhattan maps

[MAP-MANHATTAN]

DRIPPS, MATTHEW. Map of the City of New-York Extending Northward to Fiftieth Street. New York: M. Dripps, 1851. First edition. Surveyed and drawn by John F. Harrison. Lithographed map with hand-coloring on six sheets joined, varnished and mounted to linen, retaining bottom roller only. Overall about 90 x 48 3/4 inches (229 x 124 cm). laid down on linen, wooden dowel at bottom edge, Worn with dampstaining to left side resulting in some image obfuscation, edge tears and small losses, creasing, toned and varnished, holes from roller at top edge which is lacking, sold as is.

The extremely rare and monumental "Dripps Map" of Manhattan, "the first printed map of New York that shows, in detail, all the individual lots and buildings" to that date (Manhattan in Maps). The map is a wealth of information on all buildings, including saloons, hotels, and churches, parks, markets, cemetaries and other locations of interest such as the 40th Street reservoir and Barnum's Museum. There are inset views of 20 buildings around the decorative border. This is the first edition of 1851 (there was a second edition in 1852) and a second map of upper Manhattan known as Dripps II was issued the same year. An Irish immigrant grocer recently arrived in New York who was untrained in cartography, this was "Dripps' first significant map." At over seven feet, the map is scarce in any condition and the present copy while worn was recently rediscovered and in original condition. Augustyn & Cohen, Manhattan in Maps , pp 124-125; Stokes, Iconography of Manhattan Island 3:138; Rumsey 2620 (1852 edition).