Pittsburgh in 1795 and 1876 and Forts!

My wife and I took a great road-trip from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh where I stopped in at Shaw Galleries for some map shopping. I ended up buying what I think is the only reproduction in my collection, and yet, it's older than some of the originals I have.

This map shows a plan of Pittsburgh, and its fort from 1795. This, map, however, is almost 100 years more recent than the time it depicts. From what I can find, this map was published by Samuel W. Durant in the 1876 "History of Allegheny Co. Pennsylvania". It is a reproduction of the original map, which I'm pretty sure is this one, held in the University of Pittsburgh library's digital collection:

 The original is quite handsome, but the reproduction has a few interesting features. Forts are always fascinating, and this map provides considerable detail on the Fort at Pittsburgh. Today not much is left of the original fortification built by the British (on the site of an earlier French fort.)

In showing this fort the map almost reveals a kind of self-awareness, that is to say that the map-maker knew that his was a new vision of the city, but that there was a long history before him. The inset shows not only where the previous French fort had been, but also the site of a much smaller frontier fort (itself shown in another inset), but it also shows where roads have since been built passing through and over the site of an important historic feature that no longer exists.

The map also shows a number of Islands in the rivers around the city, including this one with the (in my opinion) charming notation "buckwheat grown in 1795". I note that this remark also seems to appear on the original 1795 map.

I notice, however, that this map shows a number of islands that seem to no longer exist. This well researched piece explains what happened to the islands, which was in most cases erosion. It makes the map even more wonderful as it shows not only man-made change and development over time but also natural changes to the geographic features of the area. Sure enough, a glance at a modern map of the same area shows no islands in the river at all; just bridges, lots and lots of bridges.

Montreal: A Not-So-Old Map of My Hometown and Best City Around!

This 1906 map of Montreal from the Department of the Interior Atlas of Canada is not the most interesting or beautiful to look at, and yet there are so many wonderful things about it. A clearer image may be found here (incidentally, from the same vendor who I think sold it to me).

The source of this map is unique. It's from 1906 and appeared in the first edition of the Atlas of Canada. According to the Canadian government department that still publishes it, that atlas was notable for its emphasis on means of communication and transportation in Canada. 

This is clear from the map. First, the map focuses on the port of Montreal. It's true the city was not as big then as it is now, but the port is impossible to miss. Second, the map notes "street railways" an early form of public transit in the city which is now long gone. Third, larger rail lines are also prominent, including, the famous Grand Trunk Railway, which had its headquarter's in Montreal and was an important rail-line for the country. The Lachine Canal is hard to miss too. Finally, there's the well known Victoria Bridge, shown on the map with a different name.

The bridge shown on this map also alludes to the many changes the city has undergone. For example, today, this view of Montreal would show at least two more bridges from the island, including the now heavily traveled and practically indispensable Jacques Cartier Bridge.

Something else pops up from looking at a current map of Montreal: there are more islands in the St. Lawrence River! "St. Helen Island" and "Ile Ronde" are merged into a single island and there's another landmass just to the east of that. These were all build in preparation for the World's Fair held in Montreal in 1967: Expo '67. The earth dug up in the construction of the Montreal Metro (subway) system was used to expand these islands where the pavilions were based. The U.S. exhibit, Buckminster Fuller's geodesic dome is still on this island. So is La Ronde, an amusement park that takes its name from the once small island that sat alone in the river.

Montrealers will recognize many familiar landmarks on this map, even if they are not named. For example, McGill university is where you would expect to see it, as is the unnamed Royal Victoria Hospital. The train station is also right where you'd expect it.

I had this map framed by an excellent framer, and we discussed where to put the matting. Someone present suggested that the matting should go right to the border of the map, showing only the view of the city and not the plain black line forming the border at the edge. The framer made a comment that has since stuck with me: the cartographer decided that they wanted to only show this part of the city, and nothing else. They chose that location for the border, and to hide it, would be detracting from the historic significance of the document. It reminded me that these maps are bits of history, and to have them, and show them comes with the obligation of being faithful to their purpose and message.