Cartography of New York City

The cartography of New York City is the creation, editing, processing and printing of maps that depict the islands and mainland that now comprise New York City and its immediate environs. The earliest surviving map of the area is the Manatus Map of 1631.

According to Robert T. Augstyn and Paul E. Cohen in their study Manhattan in Maps: 1527 - 1995, New York City is unique in that it is young enough that, unlike major European and Asian cities, and unlike other American cities of about the same age, its early maps have survived. Further, its founding as a city for European immigrants came during the early- and mid-seventeenth century, a golden age of mapmaking with its center in Holland. When New Amsterdam was a young colony, Amsterdam was turning out more accurate maps than ever before in history. As a commercial city, the merchants and seafarers of the new colony needed more and better maps so they could monitor and extend their commercial activities.Cohen & Augustyn (1997), p.10

When the British took over New Amsterdam and renamed it New York, surveying and mapmaking continued, but at a slower pace, which was connected to the reduced rate of growth of the city under British rule, and the lack of close administration of the colony by the mother country than had been the case under the Dutch.

During the American Revolution, New York City and its environs was an early battleground, and then the headquarters of the British. This provoked maps to be used in military campaigns, or in the defense of the city. New York became "the most thoroughly mapped urban area in America."

Indigenous mapping There are no written records that directly reference mapping by the Wappinger or the Lenape, the Native Americans who inhabited the New York City area before European colonization. However, scholars assume the Native Americans who lived on the land that now comprises New York City, as in other places, passed down a record of the spatial distribution of their resources and territory via an oral tradition.

A large Native American footpath extending into Canada, the Northeastern Great Trail, ran through the land now known as New York City. The footpath served as a trade route for the Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking indigenous peoples who lived along the Great Trail. No maps of the Great Trail are known to have existed; however, scholars hypothesize information on the trading route was passed down via oral tradition and possibly also impermanent bark scrolls similar to the Ojibwe wiigwaasabak. Written reports describe the Lenape using bark scrolls to draw pictographs to map areas, including the particularly elaborate though questionable Walam Olum; however, none of these maps survive today. Thomas Dermer in a 1619 letter described a Lenape harbor pilot, at his request, drawing an accurate map of Manhattan and surrounding waters, drafting it in chalk on a seaman's chest.

Colonial mapping The earliest surviving map of the area now known as New York City is the Manatus Map, depicting what is now Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey in the early days of New Amsterdam. The Dutch colony was mapped by cartographers working for the Dutch Republic. New Netherland had a position of surveyor general. Surveyors and cartographers active during this period of early modern Netherlandish cartography include Cryn Fredericks, Jacques Cortelyou, Andries Hudde and Johannes Vingboons. From the Manatus Map onward, much early cartography of the area had the West as its map orientation. Mapping continued and intensified after the British took control of the colony and renamed it New York in 1664.

American mapping Mapping of New York City continued during the American Revolutionary War. One of the last maps under British occupation was made in 1781 by two military cartographers.A Map of New York, & Staten Islds; And part of Long Island: Surveyed by Order of His Excellency General Sir Henry Clinton K.B. Commander in Chief of His Majesty's Forces &ca. &ca. &ca. 1781 The first official map of New York City under independence was likely the Commissioners' Plan of 1811.

Columbus Circle serves as a geographic center for New York City, taking the role of a zero-mile point. It has been used as such by the city government for its employees, by the United Nations for the C-2 visa, and by Hagstrom Map.

The first map to extensively depict New York City's transit lines is a United States Geological Survey map of southern Brooklyn drafted in 1888. The first subway focused map was published in 1904-1905 when several maps were published alongside the opening of the IRT subway. The New York City Subway map in use today came about in 1958 when George Salomon redesigned the previous map model where individual subway operating companies made their own maps. The change to a singular map was facilitated by the Board of Transportation and later the New York City Transit Authority taking over and managing the subway system as a singular entity. In 2016, Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly Schapiro created a "City of Women" map based on the Vignelli subway map, renaming each subway station for a woman who contributed to New York City.

In 2021, the Brooklyn Historical Society published a digitized database of ~1,500 maps of New York City and the surrounding areas dating back to the 17th century.

Notable maps of New York City Map Map name Date depicting Published Author Commissioned by Geography depictedMaggiolo MapCohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.16-17The map was housed in the Biblioteca Ambrosiana in Milan and was destroyed during World War II. A version from 1531 is in the Louvre Abu Dhabi. "Maggiolo World Map"1527 (?)Vesconte de Maggiolo (or Maiollo)East coasts of North, Central and South America, and Caribbean SeaGastaldi MapCohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.18-191556Giacomo di GastaldiNew York to LabradorVelasco MapCohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.20-211610unknown (?)Chesapeake Bay to LabradorBlock Figurative MapCohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.22-231614Adriaen Block and Cornelis DoetszNew York to MaineMinuit ChartCohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.24-25c.1630c.1660 (drawn)Peter Minuit (?)Hudson (North) River in New Netherland, including Manhattan ("Manatus")De Laet-Gerritsz MapCohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.26-27c.1625-16301630by Johannes de LaetHessel GerritszVirginia to Nova ScotiaManatus Map1639Author disputedNew NetherlandManhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, New JerseyJansson-Visscher MapCohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.32-33c.1651-1653c.1655-1677by Claes Janzoon VisscherAugustine Hermann (?)Delaware Bay to MaineGoos ChartCohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.36-37c.16561666 or 1672by Pieter GoosunknownDelaware Bay to New York BayCastello Plan16601667 Reprinted and named Castello Plan in 1916Jacques CortelyouNew NetherlandManhattanDuke's Plan16641859George HaywardLithograph for Valentine's ManualManhattan, Long Island (Brooklyn), New JerseyJollain View(fictitious)16721672 (?)by Gérard or François Jollainunknownsupposedly New Amsterdam (Manhattan), actually based on a view of Lisbon from c.1580Cohen & Augustyn (1997), pp.34-35Tiddeman Chart1749Mark TiddemanGeorge Hayward nameManhattan, Long Island (Brooklyn & Queens), Staten Island, New JerseyMontresor Map1766John MontresorThomas Gage for the British ArmyManhattan, Long Island (Brooklyn), Staten Island, New JerseyBritish Headquarters Map1782Ratzer Map1767Bernard RatzerSir Henry Moore, 1st BaronetManhattan, Long Island (Brooklyn & Queens), New JerseyTaylor Map1797Benjamin Taylor, artist John Roberts, engraverSouthern end of Manhattan, BrooklynCommissioners' Plan of 18111811Gouverneur Morris, John Rutherfurd, Simeon De Witt, and John Randel Jr.New York State LegislatureManhattanManhattan Blue Book18151815 Expanded edition published in 1868Otto SackersdorfManhattanCommissioners' Plan of 182118111821John Randel Jr.Manhattan, Long Island (Brooklyn & Queens), the Bronx, Connecticut, Massachusetts The Eddy Map18231828John H. EddyManhattan, Long Island, Bronx, New Jersey, Staten IslandMahon Map1831by S. MahonWilliam ChapinLower ManhattanHooker Map1831William HookerPeabody and CompanyManhattanDavid H. Burr Map1834David H. BurrManhattan, BrooklynBradford Map1839Thomas Gamaliel BradfordManhattan, Brooklyn, New JerseyMitchell Map1846Samuel Augustus MitchellManhattan, BrooklynColton Map1853J. H. ColtonManhattan, Long Island, Bronx, New Jersey, Staten IslandNew York Bay and Harbor, 18611861United States Coast GuardManhattan, Long Island (Brooklyn & Queens), Bronx, New Jersey, Staten IslandDripps Map1863Matthew DrippsManhattan, BrooklynViele Map1865Egbert Ludovicus VieleRogers Map1868W. C. RogersManhattanBeers Map1872Fredrick W. BeersManhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island City

Cartography of New York City

Bron en licentie