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This 1909 newsprint wood engraved view of Manhattan, published on the front page of the New York Times Magazine on Sunday, September 26, 1909, offers a visual representation of the city's expansion through time. Signed in the plate by Vernon Howe Bailey, the illustration highlights the areas of Manhattan occupied during the first two centuries, as well as the city's northward march over the last hundred years (up to 1909).
The view, looking straight up Manhattan, features four vignette images of New York, chronologically arranged from 1609, 1709, 1809, and 1909. These vignettes provide a snapshot of the city's development and architectural changes throughout the centuries. Bailey's illustration is not only a testament to the rapid growth of Manhattan but also an artistic reflection of the city's rich history and transformation.
In 1609, the English explorer Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East India Company, sailed up the river that would later bear his name, the Hudson River. While Hudson's primary goal was to find a northwest passage to Asia, his voyage marked the beginning of Dutch interest in the region. His exploration led to the establishment of New Netherland, a Dutch trading colony that included parts of present-day New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Connecticut, with its administrative center on the southern tip of Manhattan Island. The Dutch later founded the settlement of New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island in 1624, which eventually became the city of New York when the English took control in 1664.
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