This little view of Boston is a reduced version of one of the most important and rare views of Colonial Boston. In 1768 the leading print dealers of London jointly published a set of American views in the Scenographia Americana. The views were made from drawings that were drawn on the spot, often by military artists. Six of the views were from sketches made by Thomas Pownall - including this one. Thomas Pownall, governor of Massachusetts during the French and Indian War (1757-59), was one of the few sympathetic colonial governors in the British Colonies. He was also an artist, author and mapmaker. Although earlier versions of this view show the Union Jack flag flying at the front of the view, this very rare version was updated to show the American flag with stars and stripes. This version was engraved by James Trenchard and published in the December 1787 edition of Columbia Magazine. An earlier edition appeared in Universal Magazine in 1775, and a later edition was published in the mid-nineteenth century.

Columbia Magazine was founded by Matthew Carey, an Irish-born cartographer who became one of the most influential mapmakers in the early history of the United States.

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Condition: B

Issued folding with several mis-folds, light soiling, and a separation along the platemark at bottom that has been archivally repaired. There is a chip in the top blank margin, away from the image, that has also been repaired.