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An Early Senefelder Lithographic Plan -- One of the Earliest Examples of Map Lithography From The First Family of Lithography

This is a beautifully detailed 1822 map of Strasbourg was lithographed and published by Clément Senefelder. The map was created based on a general plan drawn in 1821 by W. J. Dill, architect of the city, and refined by Charles Rothe.  

Clement (or Clemens) Senefelder (1788-1833) was the younger brother of Alois Senefelder (1771-1834), the inventor of the lithographic process.  Alois had five brothers and three sisters. Four of his 5 brothers, Theobald, Georg, Karl and Clemens were all drawn into Alois’ lithographic activities.

The map provides a comprehensive representation of Strasbourg as it existed in the early 19th century, including its fortifications, public establishments, and internal divisions.]Strasbourg is divided into quadrants marked as "Canton Nord," "Canton Sud," "Canton Est," and "Canton Ouest," reflecting the city's administrative organization.

The detailed bastions, walls, and moats encircling the city emphasize Strasbourg’s strategic importance as a fortified city on the French-German border. The legend (Explication des Signes) lists notable structures, including fire pump depots (Dépôt de Pompes à feu), customs guard stations (Corps de Garde de Douaniers), powder magazines (Magasin à Poudre), and customs offices (Bureau de Douane).

The map features an ornate title cartouche adorned with heraldic imagery, adding a decorative and formal element.

A Brief History of Lithography 

Lithography was invented in 1796 by Alois Senefelder (1771–1834), a German actor and playwright, who was seeking an inexpensive method to publish his plays. Senefelder discovered that a greasy substance could be used to create an image on a flat limestone surface, which could then be treated to attract ink only to the greased areas while repelling ink from the untreated parts. This technique, known as planographic printing, marked a departure from relief (e.g., woodcuts) and intaglio (e.g., engraving and etching) methods. Lithography required neither carving nor etching, making it cheaper and faster, especially for reproducing images and text. 

Senefelder patented his method in 1799 and published a detailed manual in 1818 titled Vollständiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerey ("A Complete Course of Lithography"). His innovation quickly spread across Europe, particularly in Germany, France, and England. By the early 19th century, lithography was employed for artistic reproductions, music scores, theater programs, and commercial printing. Its ability to produce fine gradations and replicate drawings with fidelity made it appealing to artists and publishers alike.

 The invention of lithography in 1796 by Alois Senefelder in Munich marked a significant milestone in the evolution of mapmaking. Before lithography, maps were primarily created using engraving, a labor-intensive and expensive process that limited map accessibility. Lithography introduced a more cost-effective and faster method of printing maps.

In the early years of lithographic printing, mapmakers experimented with various methods. Initially, techniques such as stone engraving—a variant of intaglio—were commonly used for cartographic purposes due to their precision in producing fine lines. This approach was particularly suited for the Bavarian Cadastral Survey, which Senefelder himself supervised starting in 1809. The survey produced over 20,000 maps by 1853, employing lithography to regulate land ownership and taxation. Lithography's adaptability and efficiency enabled the production of detailed cadastral maps at an unprecedented scale.

By 1825, lithography's planographic process had become the preferred method for printing maps and illustrations. However, engraving on stone remained in use for maps requiring exceptional detail.  The first American lithographic map, "Barton on the Catskills," was printed in 1822 by Barnet and Doolittle.