|
||
|
|
|
|
Mammoth Birdseye View of Los Angeles in 1909
Rare Birdseye View of Los Angeles, compiled by Worthington Gates, from the original artwork of Francis Lawrence.
Remarkable and highy detailed birdseye view of Los Angeles, published by the Birdseye View Publishing Company of Los Angeles. The view extends to Hollywood, Glendale and Pasadena in the distance, with Downtown Los Angeles in the foreground and the Los Angeles River as the Eastern Boundary. The detail of the view is extraordinary, providing both geographical locations and a profile view of a number of buildings in the Downtown area and even names on many of the buildings.
The map came in two sizes, the present example and a wall map example, nearly six feet wide. The two views are not identical -- there are a number of minor changes in the text. This smaller version is apparently the earlier of the two states of the view. As noted by Los Angeles Public Library Map Librarian Glen Creason:
The spectacular, century-old wall map below exists in myriad prints and is a perfect example of pure booster cartography. Danish artist Francis Lawrence drew this meticulous rendering of each and every building in the booming city. He spent 15 months pounding the mostly unpaved streets of L.A. to make sure his drawing was accurate, and he insisted that the map be large . . . so all the details would be visible.
The scope of this map is unusually large, ranging from the edges of East Los Angeles to the fledgling city of Hollywood, which peeks up from the foot of the mountains
On the verso is a "City and Suburban Map of Los Angeles by Felix Viole," rearranged by Worthington Gates.
Rarity
OCLC lists 3 copies. This is the first time we have offered the view for sale in over 20 years. In 2010, we sold a copy of the larger view to the Library of Congress. The two views are not identical -- there is significant textual changes.
![[Nevada and parts of California, Utah and Arizona] Explorations and Surveys South of Central Pacific R.R. . . . Preliminary Topographical Map Map Embracing in Skeleton a Portion Only of the Notes from Surveys . . . 1871 (with original text)](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/82964.jpg)
![[First Obtainable Map to Name California] Tartariae Sive Magni Chami Regni typus](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/82510.jpg)
