Lower Manhattan, the Brooklyn Naval Yard, DUMBO, and Brooklyn Heights from Williamsburg.
Rare two-stone lithographed view of Brooklyn and lower Manhattan, from the perspective of Williamsburg looking southeast over the Brooklyn Naval Yard.
The view was made by John Bornet, a skilled New York viewmaker, and was published in New York City in 1855. Bornet was both the original artist for the view and the lithographer.
In the foreground is a scene of semi-rural life, indicating the kind of land and buildings that still existed in Brooklyn in the middle of the 19th century. The farmstead-like scene quickly gives way to scenes of industry and commerce. Large warships are depicted in the Naval Yard along with famous buildings.
Rarity
This bird's-eye view is very rare on the market. We trace examples at the New York Public Library, Museum of the City of New York, Yale Art Gallery, and elsewhere.