Bird's Eye View Drawings of New York City

A bird's eye view is a view from a very high place as if seen by a bird in flight. It allows a view of a very large area below the viewpoint.

Until the 18th century many cities were represented in an artistic perspective, like the Restitutio View, 1673, instead of an architectural perspective. Later, the use of camera obscura and lenses allowed artists and engineers to draw more technical and detailed cityscapes. In the late 18th century and in the first half of 19th century several skylines of New York were drawn, possibly using the camera obscura technique.

From the 1830s to the 1870s, some panoramic views of New York City were drawn from the top of high structures, like the American Museum (1837), St. Paul’s Chapel (1848, 1855), Trinity Church (1848, 1853, 1872), Astor House (1849), Latting Observatory (1855), old tower in Central Park (1859, maybe also 1873 and another in 1875 by John Bachmann) and Hotel Bristol (1879, based on photograph).

Since the mid-19th century, photography has changed the way urban spaces are recorded. Until the 1880s good quality photograph was not ease to take, but, even with poor quality, photography replaced the camera obscura as a resource and drawings were made with the help of photographs, until the early 20th century. During this time, several bird's eye view drawings of New York were published, not generally drawn to scale, possibly with the help of photography and balloons, which could be anchored, but this did not avoid vibrations that prevented good quality photographs.

Bachman appears to by the first to draw such a view by 1849, showing Lower Manhattan from Union Square and a bird's eye view of New-York & Brooklyn was published in 1850 by John Bachmann. However, the first aerial photograph taken from a balloon is considered to have been taken in 1858 by French Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, in Paris, France.

Experiments with unmanned air balloons were made in New York City since the late 18th century. In August 1819, Mr. Guillé, a Frenchman, ascended in a balloon from Vauxhall Garden to a height of 1,500 fathoms, and then he descended by means of a parachute. He landed across the East River. This was the first actual ascension of a person in a balloon in New York. In October 1825, a woman, Madame Johnson, ascended in a balloon from Castle Garden. In October 1826, French balloonist Eugène Robertson ascended in a gas balloon from Castle Garden. On September 9, 1830, Charles E. Durant became the first U.S. citizen to fly a balloon. He ascended from Castle Garden, flew about 25 miles, in three hours, and landed in Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

The 20th century brought aerophotogrammetry and satellite imagery.

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Historic Bird's Eye View Drawings of New York City
1673 - Neu Jorck sive Neu Amsterdam, Restitutio View, Matthaeus Seutter

1834 - Panorama of New York, illustration by Robert Burford

1837 - Bird's-eye view of Lower Manhattan, Thomas Hornor

1848 - New York and East River from Williamsburg, Foreman and Brown

1848 - New York from Trinity Church, with historic buildings, by E. B. Purcell

1848 - Broadway, Panoramic view from St. Paul’s Church

1849 - New York City, looking south from Union Park by J. Bachman

1849 - City Hall Park and environs by John Bachmann

1850 - Bird's eye view of New-York & Brooklyn by John Bachmann

1850 - Union Square by John Bornet

1850s - Panoramic View of New York & Brooklyn, William Simpson

1850s - City of New York & Brooklyn from Williamsburg, J. F. Hesse

1851 - City of New York by Heine, J. Kummer & Döpler

1854 - Panorama of Manhattan Island by John Bornet

1854 - Union Square by Charles Magnus

1855 - Empire City, Birdseye View of New York and Environs

1855 - Broadway, Looking South East from St. Paul's Chapel

1855 - New York, looking south from 42nd St. Crystal Palace

1856 - City of New York, Battery Park in the foreground, by Charles Parsons

1859 - New York, Brooklyn, Williamsburg - John Bachmann

1859 - New York City in a Globe by John Bachmann

1859 - Central Park south from the Observatory by Hitchcock & Co.

1859 - New York City, south from 5th Avenue and 37th Street

1860 - Central Park and facilities, Library of Congress

1865 - Bird's Eye View of New York and Environs, John Bachmann

1866 - Panorama of New York and Vicinity by John Bachmann

1869 - City Hall Park, Post Office construction, Harper's Weekly

1870 - City of New York, bird's eye view by Currier & Ives

1870 - Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Projected Bridge

1872 - Broadway from Trinity Church by Asa Coolidge Warren

1873 - Panorama of New York, with Battery in foreground, Ferd. Mayer & Sons

1873 - Bird's-eye View of New York, George Schlegel

1873 - Central Park in a Panorama of New York, George Schlegel

1874 - Panorama of the City of New York by John Bachmann

1875 - New York & Brooklyn from Jersey City, Parsons / Atwater

1876 - City of New York, with historic buildings, by Parsons & Atwater

1877 - New York and Brooklyn from Jersey City by Parsons & Atwater

1879 - New York with Brooklyn Bridge by J. W. Williams

1879 - City of Brooklyn with Brooklyn Bridge by G.R. Parsons

1879 - Fifth Avenue, looking north from 42nd Street by John Bachmann

1880s - City of New York, panorama from New Jersey waterfront, L.W. Schmidt

1881 - New York City, bird's eye view, Hill's Album of Biography and Art

1883 - City of New York, panorama with historic buildings, Currier & Ives

1884 - City of New York, bird's-eye-view with Brooklyn Bridge, Currier & Ives

1885 - Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridge, Currier & Ives

1889 - New York, panorama of the City, Parsons & Atwater

1892 - New York City, bird's eye view, by Parsons and Atwater

1892 - Battery Park and Upper New York Bay, Currier & Ives

1903 - Lower Manhattan, aerial image, Richard Rummell - Moses King

1905 - Aerial view of New York, with early skyscrapers by Richard Rummell

1905 - Greater New York, Hudson River in the foreground, by Charles Hart

1909 - New York City from a balloon, drawing based on photograph

1910 - Lower Manhattan, aerial view by Richard Rummell

1912 - Aerial image of Lower Manhattan, with skyscrapers by M.J. Connors

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