$250.00 CAD
– Sold Out| /
Labelled at top: “NOVUM AMSTERODAMUM”.
One of the earliest original prints of New York City!
The view shows the small Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, located on the southern tip of Manhattan. The Dutch first settled in the area in 1626 after purchasing the island from the Indians for $24.
This view is thought to be engraved from an original drawing by Laurens Hermansz Block, a Dutch artist who visited New York in 1650 aboard the merchant vessel Lydia. Viewed from the harbor, it depicts the settlement with a few wooden buildings, a large church and a windmill.
In 1664 New Amsterdam was captured by the British and renamed New York, in honor of James, the Duke of York.
There is some debate as to the source of the original drawing, but it is generally accepted that it is based on a sketch by Laurens Hermansz Block, a Dutch artist who visited New York in 1650 aboard the merchant vessel, Lydia. Taken from the harbor, the view depicts the settlement as it would have been in 1651. There is nothing more than a few wooden buildings, including a church with a steeple and a windmill, but the settlement is described by Ogilby as containing over four hundred houses, which was considered an extremely large town.
Copper plate engraving on laid paper, strong impression.
Nice condition. Some yellowing along borders. Ink stain LR corner.
21.5 cm x 17 cm
