Catalog Archive
Auction 122, Lot 320

"To the Honourable House of Representatives of the Freemen of Pennsylvania This Map of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia with the Catalogue of Purchases is Humbly Dedicated…", Reed, John A.

Subject: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Period: 1870-1895 (circa)

Publication:

Color: Black & White

Size:
58.5 x 29.5 inches
148.6 x 74.9 cm
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A large re-issue of John Reed's scarce plan of Philadelphia in 1774, also called Reed's Plan of First Purchasers. This example is printed on two joined sheets and folds to 6.5 x 8". Reed printed the 1774 edition of this map of Philadelphia and the surrounding Liberties (bonus lands) with an accompanying pamphlet to pressure the Penn family, claiming that his family's original grants were being ignored. He included exhaustive tables of familes who purchased land, as well as those who 'took them up'. Reed was ultimately unsuccessful in his quest to regain land, but the highly detailed map he made was an excellent, historical document of the city. The map is inset with Holmes' original plan for the city, as well as three vignettes of The House of Employment, Pennsylvania Hospital and the State House (Independence Hall), with three large compass roses orienting the map. This map was reprinted by Charles Warner in 1870, and also by the Pennsylvania State Archives in 1895.

References: cf Wheat & Brun #457; cf Sellers & Van Ee #1311.

Condition: C+

Folding, as issued. A number of fold splits have been repaired with surgical tape on the verso, and several intersectional fold splits remain unrepaired. Scattered, light foxing and stains from tape.

Estimate: $150 - $250

Sold for: $140

Closed on 12/5/2007

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