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A Facsimile of a Facsimile of the First American Map of Boston
1911 facsimile of the 1835 edition of John Bonner's map of Boston, the most famous and desirable of Boston maps.
The maps origins are explained in a note under the title block: "Engraved from a copy in the possession of Wm. Taylor Esq. and published by George G. Smith, Engraver Corner of Washington and Franklin Streets Boston. 1835." in turn, the Bullard Company, in 1911, re-issued a copy of the George C. Smith facsimile.
The early 19th century featured the first wave of real interest in antiquarian Americana and consequently saw a cottage industry develop for the reproduction of the most famous articles from the previous two centuries. This map is one of the best products of that movement.
Interestingly, the George G. Smith re-engraving of the map was undertaken not long after the original Bonner plate stopped being printed, the final state of which was printed in 1769. Smith's map is based on the 1725 edition of the Bonner, of which there is only one extant copy, at Mass Historical.
We assume the Bullard Company's interests in reproducing the Smith edition of the Bonner map was more promotional in nature, juxatposed against their fine Practical Map of Boston . . . on the verso.
![Carte Reduite Des Costes Orientales De L'Amerique Septentrionale . . . contenant L'Isle Royale . . . La Nouvelle Angleterre et la Nouvelle Yorc . . . MDCCLVII [with Plan of Boston Harbor] Plan du Havre de Baston](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/80006.jpg)
