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An Extraordinary View of New Orleans
This Currier & Ives bird’s-eye view of New Orleans, published in 1885, presents a detailed and striking depiction of the city during the late 19th century.
Created to promote the World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, the image highlights New Orleans as a vital commercial and industrial center, particularly in the cotton trade.
The view offers a spectacular bird’s-eye image of New Orleans, capturing the iconic bend in the Mississippi River and the city’s bustling riverfront. The river itself is teeming with steamboats, sailing vessels, and other watercraft, reflecting the city's role as a gateway for trade and transportation. The French Quarter, City Hall, Lafayette Square, and numerous other landmarks are labeled along the lower margin, with over forty named locations providing a comprehensive overview of New Orleans’ civic, religious, and commercial architecture.
This 1885 lithograph captures a pivotal moment in New Orleans’ history, illustrating both its historic character and modernization in the post-Reconstruction era. The World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition sought to position the city as a leader in global trade and manufacturing, and this view, produced by Currier & Ives, served as a powerful promotional tool.
Rarity
The view is rare on the market.
This is the first example we have offered for sale (1992-2025).
Reps (1166) notes examples at the Library of Congress, Prints Division; Filson Club, Louisville; Chicago Historical Society; Knox College; Tulane; Historic New Orleans Collection; Louisiana State Museum; New-York Historical Society.
![Louisiana [inset:] Vicinity of New Orleans](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/87567.jpg)
![Grondvlakte van Nieuw Orleans, de Hoofdstad van Louisiana [with] De Uitloop vande Rivier Missisippi [and] De Oostelyke ingang van de Missisippi met cen Plan van het Fort . . .](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/101806.jpg)