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Description

A curious example of James Pigot's map of Manchester, substantially extended with purpose-made lithographed and manuscript sheets to create a map of the city reflecting railroad extensions and construction as of 1845.

Specifically, the map was a custom creation to illustrate the Manchester South Junction Railway, which joined the Liverpool and Manchester Railway with the Birmingham and Manchester Railway.

The purpose of the line was several-fold. Even in the early days, it was clear that the dead-end terminal at London Road would need to be connected to the other railway lines serving Manchester. The Manchester & Birmingham and the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne & Manchester companies proposed an extension of their lines which would skirt the southern part of Manchester city center on a 1 1⁄2-mile (2.4 km) viaduct, and join the Liverpool and Manchester Railway at Ordsall Lane in Salford. This was promoted as the South Junction Line. A branch line was also proposed, leaving the South Junction line at Castlefield (west of today's Deansgate station) and following the Bridgewater Canal to Altrincham. The Manchester South Junction and Altrincham Railway Act received royal assent on 21 July 1845.

Furthermore, the map depicts the planned Arwick Branch Railway and Ashton Stalybridge and Liverpool Railway. Together these three extensions would encircle the city center, joining previously unconnected dead-end stations and lines. These connections aided not only Manchester but through travel as well.

The purpose of the map may have been to contrast the two proposed lines, favoring the South Junction Railway, as there is a table in the upper-left corner showing a short distance for that line than for the other.

Pigot's map was an important often-updated treatment of Manchester, the first edition of which was published in the 1830s. It is reasonably scarce in commerce today, this being the first time we have had any edition.

Condition Description
Engraved map trimmed into the image and extended on three sides with three lithographed and manuscript sheets. Altogether laid on old linen. Old folds with some wear and small losses at intersections. Important hand-drawn additions. Some toning and soot-soiling.