South Prospect, City of New York in North America, 1717 - 1761
Illustration at the top: color version of The South Prospect of the City of New York, in North America, originally published in London in black & white, in 1761 (date depicted: 1717-1746), size 20½ x 6⅛ inches. It was engraved on large copper plate for the London Magazine, or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, August 1761. Text on print: "Engrav'd For the London Magazine 1761". Source: Barry Lawrence Ruderman Antique Maps Inc.
Second illustration below: same as the one above with a slightly different lithograph. "North America" in the title is replaced by just "America" and many of the sailing ships do not have people aboard, whereas all the sailing ships on the "New York in North America" edition include people aboard the ships. The flag of England, consisting of a white field with a red cross, is mistakenly colored with a blue cross. The original engraving is black & white and can be found in the Library of Congress.
Both illustrations are later editions of the Burgis View, originally drawn by artist William Burgis from Brooklyn Heights, between 1716 and 1718, engraved on four plates in England by John Harris. They are based on the Bakewell reissue of 1746 of the Burgis View, made with some updates, like the addition of the Lutheran Church and the New Dutch Church (wrongly facing south). On the other hand, the Chapel in the Fort (2) and the Secretary’s Office (3), both represented in the view were burned in 1741.
The view was published in the London Magazine for August 1761, while the French and Indian War (1754-1763) was still raging and interest about North American colonies was high. The engraving was accompanied by a numbered list of the points of interest, reproduced below. Enlargements of the engraving on the top are also below.
Burgis View reissue for the London Magazine 1761
Numbered list of the points of interest as published in the London Magazine:
"1 - The Fort" (Fort George).
"2 - The Chapel, in the Fort" (burned in 1741).
"3 - The Secretary’s-Office" (burned in 1741).
"4 - The Great Dock, with a Bridge over it".
"5 - The Ruins of Whitehall, built by Governor Duncan" (Dongan).
"6. Part of Nutten Island". Now Governors Island.
"7 - Part of Long Island" (Brooklyn).
"8 - The Lower Market".
"9 - The Crane".
"10 - The Great Flesh-Market".
"11 - The Dutch Church" on Garden Street, now Exchange Place.
"12 - The English Church" first temple of Trinity Church.
"13 - The City Hall" on Wall Street.
"14 - The Exchange".
"15 - The French Church".
"16 - Upper Market".
"17 - The Station Ship".
"18 - The Wharf".
"19 - The Wharf for building Ships" (Manhattan).
"20 - The Ferry-House, on Long Island Side" (Brooklyn).
"21 - A Pen for Cattle, designed for the Market" (Brooklyn).
"22 - Colonel Morris’s Fancy, turning to windward, with a Sloop of common mould". A yacht on the East River.
It the article that accompanied the engraving, the London Magazine wrote:
«The city of New York, capital of the province of that name, in North America, having made a great figure in the present war in America, and being so considerable for its commerce, &c. we thought the annexed beautiful SOUTH PROSPECT thereof, would be very agreeable to our readers. This city ... being situated on the mouth of Hudson's river, about 14 miles long, and, in some places, three broad. It may contain near 2500 buildings of brick and stone, stands on an eminence, and being surrounded with modern fortifications, makes a fine appearance.»
Old Dutch Church (Garden Street)
New Dutch Church
Lutheran Church on Broadway (not in the original Burgis View)
Based on the Burgis View.
Enlargement of the southern part.
City Hall on Wall Street
French Church
Trinity Church
South Prospect, City of New York in North America, 1717 - 1761
New Dutch Church, completed in 1731 (not in the original Burgis View). The church is wrongly depicted, with its tower facing south.
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