|
||
|
|
|
|
Joseph Bouchette's Junior's View of Montreal from Mount Royal
This lithographic view of Montreal, taken from Mount Royal in 1831, presents an expansive and detailed panorama of the city as it appeared in the early 19th century. The vantage point provides a sweeping perspective of Montreal’s urban landscape, nestled between the lush foreground of cultivated fields and the distant shores of the St. Lawrence River. Church spires and other prominent buildings punctuate the skyline, offering a sense of the city's architectural character at the time.
This lithograph was drawn by Joseph Bouchette Jr., son of the eminent Surveyor-General Joseph Bouchette (1774–1841), and engraved by L. Haghe of the firm of Day and Haghe in London. It was included in The British Dominions in North America (1832), a comprehensive topographical and statistical survey of British Canada. Bouchette’s work, built upon meticulous surveys and extensive travels, remains one of the most authoritative geographical studies of early 19th-century British North America.
Joseph Bouchette, the elder, was a preeminent cartographer and surveyor, serving as Surveyor-General of Lower Canada from 1804 until his death in 1841. He was instrumental in documenting the physical and political landscapes of British Canada, following in the footsteps of his uncle, Samuel Holland, the first Surveyor-General for British North America. His contributions to cartography and geographic knowledge were foundational, influencing land grants, settlement patterns, and governmental planning in the early years of Canadian development.
