Reproductions

The Great Bridge, 1881

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x30", 2014.

The painting depicts the Brooklyn Bridge during its construction in 1881, looking across the East River from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The bridge is about two years from completion. The floor beams of the span are being suspended from the cables. In its early days, the bridge was often referred to as simply “the great bridge.”

The elaborate Victorian building in the foreground is the Fulton Ferry Terminal in Brooklyn. It has since been demolished. The row of buildings in the close foreground is still there, on Old Fulton Street. A ferry boat is seen crossing the river from Manhattan. The current South Street Seaport is just off the canvas on the left.

#24

A Friendly Race: USS Constitution in the Caribbean, 1799

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36", 2014.

The USS Constitution was built in Boston in 1797. She carried 54 guns and a crew of more than 450. She earned her fame in The War of 1812, when she won three celebrated victories over the British, demonstrating that the new American Navy could stand up to the greatest sea power in the world. She was nicknamed "Old Ironsides" when British cannonballs were seen to bounce off her hard oak hull.

This painting depicts a little known event in her long career. While stationed in the Caribbean in 1799, a ship was sighted which turned out to a British frigate. This was a time of peace with England. The English captain came on board. He expressed great admiration for the ship, but declared that his own ship was faster. He offered to bet a cask of Madeira on a trial of speed. The two commanders dined together and arranged the race for the following day. The contest began at dawn upon the firing of a gun. At the end of the day the British ship was left far behind. Just after dark, the English captain was rowed over to the American ship, a large cask of Madeira in the boat with him.

#26

USS Enterprise vs HMS Boxer

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36".

The USS Enterprise was built in Baltimore in 1799. She saw action in the Quasi-War with France in 1799 as well as the Barbary Wars two years later. In The War of 1812, Enterprise won a fierce sea battle that helped to demonstrate that the new American Navy could stand up to the most powerful navy in the world.

In September, 1813, rigged as a brig and armed with 16 guns, Enterprise sighted the British brig HMS Boxer, carrying 14 guns, off the coast of Maine. After a day-long chase the brigs opened fire at very close range. Both commanding officers were killed in the early salvos. After half an hour, Boxer was forced to surrender. Enterprise took Boxer into nearby Portland, Maine, where the two opposing captains received a joint funeral.

The moment depicted in this painting is described in a naval history of Great Britain written in 1902: "At 3:15 p.m. the Boxer, being on the starboard tack, fired her starboard broadside, and immediately received the larboard broadside of the Enterprise in return; the two brigs then not more than half pistol-shot apart."

#28

USS Constitution vs HMS Java

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 9x12", 2013.

The USS Constitution was built in Boston, MA in 1797. She was one of the first of the original six frigates that made up the U.S. Navy. She carried 44 guns and a crew of more than 450. During the War of 1812, the Constitution won several important victories over the British, demonstrating that the new American Navy could stand up to the greatest sea power in the world.

This painting depicts her second victory—over HMS Java, a frigate of 38 guns. The Constitution encountered the Java about 30 miles off the coast of Brazil on December 29, 1812. The Constitution’s captain, Commodore William Bainbridge, maneuvered for position and opened fire from about a half a mile away. The two ships traded broadsides, and the Java had the better of it at first, but after three and a half hours, the Constitution’s overwhelming firepower and superior gunnery had reduced the Java to a hulk, her masts shot away and her captain mortally wounded. The Java was too badly damaged to be saved, so after taking the remaining British sailors as prisoners, and taking the ship’s wheel to replace his own shattered wheel, Commodore Bainbridge burned and sank the British ship.

The Constitution returned to Boston, where there was great rejoicing over the victory. Bainbridge and the crew were awarded medals and prize money in recognition of their spectacular triumph over the Royal Navy.

#29

USS Enterprise at the Grand Harbor in Malta

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 2010.

#30

The Battle of Lake Erie

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36", 2015.

The Battle of Lake Erie was fought on September 10, 1813. Captain Oliver Hazard Perry's decisive victory over the British fleet ensured American control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812. During the battle, Perry flew his famous flag which read "Don’t Give Up the Ship."

The nine vessels of the American fleet were outweighed and outgunned by the six ships of the British fleet. Commodore Perry's flagship was destroyed in the course of the battle with most of its crew killed or wounded. However, Perry got into a boat and was rowed a half-mile through heavy gunfire to transfer his command, and his flag, to the USS Niagara. He sailed Niagara into close action, broke the British battle line, and forced the British to surrender. After the battle, Perry sent his famous message "We have met the enemy and they are ours."

The painting depicts the Niagara charging into battle, with the British ships Detroit and Queen Charlotte behind her. The two British ships will collide a few moments after this, and Niagara will pound them into submission.

#31

The Battle of Cape Gata

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x30", 2016.

The battle off Cape Gate took place on June 17, 1815, and was the first battle of the Second Barbary War (1815-1816). The American squadron, under the command of Stephen Decatur, Jr., had orders to destroy Algerian vessels and bring the Dey of Algiers to terms for attacks on American shipping. The American squadron met and engaged the frigate Meshuda, commanded by Admiral Hamidou and the flagship of the Algerian Navy, off the coast of Cape Gate, Spain. The Algerian forces were outnumbered and tried to flee, but the American vessels quickly overtook them. The victory was secured with few American casualties: 4 killed and 10 wounded, compared to the 30 killed, numerous wounded, 406 prisoners of war, and one captured frigate from the Algerian Navy. This victory enabled the American commander to fulfill his orders to bring the Day to terms, and helped secure the eventual end of the war.

#32

New York Harbor, 1910

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x30", 2010.

Two cutter yachts are enjoying a brisk wind in New York harbor in the first decade of the twentieth century. Ellis Island is visible in the background at the right, with its recently completed Immigration Station designed in the grand Beaux-Arts style. The Statue of Liberty, at left, was about 25 years old at this point. A steamboat carrying tourists from the Statue is at the far right, a steam tug is at left, and a harbor ferry is in the far distance at the far left.

#33

The Royal Navy at Alexandria, VA During the War of 1812

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x40", 2016.

As part of the British expedition to the Chesapeake Bay in 1814, a naval force sailed up the Potomac River and laid siege to Alexandria. Seven British warships anchored in a line along the whole length of the town, armed with cannons, mortars, and Congreve rockets. Just four days earlier, the British had attached and burned Washington, D.C. Alexandria was defenseless, and to avoid destruction, the town agreed to hand over tons of merchandise such as tobacco, cotton, flour, and wine, as well as all its merchant ships, including those which had been sunk to prevent them from being captured.

The British ships seen in this painting would weigh anchor after five days and sail up to Baltimore, where they attacked Fort McHenry. HMS Meteor, seen here, and HMS Erebus shot the rockets and bombs that inspired Francis Scott Key, in part, to write the national anthem (“rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air). The painting is based on extensive historical and nautical research, and is as accurate as possible in all respects.

#36

The Battle of Machias

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36", 2016.

The Battle of Machias was the second naval engagement of the Revolutionary War. It took place on June 12, 1775 in Machias Bay in Maine. The townspeople of Machias were upset by the British siege of Boston and were unwilling to provide supplies to the British. In their Sloop Unity and schooner Falmouth Packet, they attacked a British schooner, Margaretta, armed with pitchforks, axes, a few rifles, and one swivel gun. They captured Margaretta in the name of The Sons of Liberty.

The vessels shown in this painting are, from left to right, Falmouth Packet, Unity, and Margaretta. The flag flown by Unity is a Sons of Liberty flag; the American flag had not yet been designed by Betsy Ross. The painting is based on extensive historical and nautical research, and is as accurate as possible in all aspects.

#37

Alexandria, 1895

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36", 2014.

This painting depicts the waterfront of Alexandria, Virginia in 1895. The artist based this view on extensive research with old maps, prints and photographs, as well as his background knowledge of ships and historic ports. The viewpoint is from near the end of a pier at the foot of Duke Street, looking north toward Washington DC. The prominent buildings are on the waterfront between Prince, King and Cameron Streets. The boat in the foreground is a skipjack, one of the famous oyster boats of the Chesapeake Bay. The steamboat Young America is coming in to dock near the foot of King Street, while a small steam launch carries a few well-heeled passengers on an excursion, perhaps downriver to Mount Vernon.

#38

Alexandria in 1755; General Braddock’s Troops Landing at West’s Point

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36", 2014.

In 1755, Alexandria was a small hamlet situated atop high bluffs, which formed a crescent shaped bay on the Potomac River. The north point of this bay, West’s Point, is the foot of present day Oronoco Street, and the south point, Point Lumley, is the foot of present day Duke Street. West’s Point. This bay would be filled in (a process called “banking out”) to create the land and straight waterfront of the current lower portion of Old Town Alexandria (including The Icon Galeria) sometime after 1759.

This painting depicts the beginning of the French and Indian War, as British troops of the 48th Regiment of Foot under General Braddock arrive at West’s Point. These troops would then march inland towards Ohio Country (current-day western Pennsylvania and the state of Ohio), where they would attack the French troops and their Indian allies, thus beginning what some historians claim to be the first true World War. The conflict that led to this painting’s events began in 1753, when French troops began building forts along Allegheny River in an effort to stop the British in Virginia and Pennsylvania from expanding westward into Ohio Country. Ohio Country was home to Indian tribes and some trappers and traders, but both the French and British claimed this land for themselves. The new French forts angered both the British in North America and in Great Britain; after skirmishes between French and Virginian troops, Britain sent General Braddock and his troops across the Atlantic in an effort to quell the French threat.

#39

The Battle of the Chesapeake

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36", 2016.

The Battle of the Chesapeake Bay was one of the decisive turning points in American history. The British navy’s loss of this battle allowed General George Washington to defeat the British at Yorktown, thereby ending the American Revolution. The battle took place just outside the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay on September 5, 1781, between a British and French fleet. For two and a half hours the fleets traded broadsides. Neither fleet was decisively defeated, but the French won the day by denying the British entrance into the Bay. and thus forcing the British to surrender to General Washington.

In the painting, the British and French lines are sailing opposite each other in the traditional “line of battle.” The British line on the right and the French line on the left.

#40

The Battle of Machias

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36", 2017.

The Battle of Machias was the second naval engagement of the Revolutionary War. It took place on June 12,1775 in Machias Bay, Maine. The townspeople of Machias were upset by the British siege of Boston and were unwilling to provide supplies to the British. In their sloop Unity and schooner Falmouth Packet, they attacked a British Schooner Margaretta, armed with pitchforks, axes, a few rifles, and one swivel gun. They captured Margaretta in the name of The Sons of Liberty.

#41

Fighting for Freedom: The Patriot Sloop Providence

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 30x40", 2017.

The sloop Providence was one of the rst vessels of the American Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War. Built in Providence, Rhode Island in 1775 as a merchant vessel, the new Continental government bought the sloop and tted her out for war. She cruised up and down the Atlantic coast and into the Caribbean, participating in many skirmishes with the British. At one time she was commanded by John Paul Jones. After a failed attack on the British off the coast of Maine in 1799, Providence was in danger of being taken by the enemy, and so she was destroyed by her own crew.

#47

The Sloop Providence Landing Continental Marines in the Bahamas, 1776

Patrick O'Brien. Oil on canvas, 24x36", 2018.

The sloop Providence was one of the first vessels of the American Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War. Built in Providence, Rhode Island in 1775 as a merchant vessel, the new Continental government bought the sloop and fitted her out for war. She cruised up and down the Atlantic coast and into the Caribbean, participating in many skirmishes with the British, including the Raid of and Battle for Nassau shown above.

This painting presents the first landing of what would later become the United States Marine Corps in the British port in the Bahamas on March 3rd, 1776. The Americans spent the next two weeks occupying Nassau and loading captured supplies and goods aboard their vessels, setting sail back to New England on the 17th. Later, after a failed attack on the British off the coast of Maine in 1799, Providence was in danger of being taken by the enemy, and subsequently was destroyed by her own crew.

#48

Plan of the Town of Alexandria, D.C. with the Environs.

Maskell C. Ewing. Engraving, 1845. 20x24".

Printed in Philadelphia, Ewing's map of Alexandria highlights the town's importance in shipping and commerce. Ewing recorded the route of the Alexandria Canal, the shipping channel, and wharves, showing water depths at high tide, 3.5 feet. References indicate the locations of public buildings and churches. Alexandria was part of the District of Columbia until 1846, when the area was retroceded to Virginia.

#5

Nova Virginiae Tabula

Henricus Hondius. Hand-colored, 1645. 15x19.5".

This is Henricus Hondius' derivative of John Smith's highly important map of Virginia, 1612. It is, however, drawn from his deceased brother Jodocus' version of 1618. The two has led separate careers for at least ten years and in 1629, upon the death of Jodocus, Willem Blaeu acquired a number of plates from the estate. About thirty of these formed the nucleus of Blaeu's "Atlantis Appendix" of 1630. This challenge to the atlas of Henricus, which was by now quite dated, stimulated fierce competition between the two houses. The sale of plates must have occurred by 2 March 1630 as a contract of that date survives where Henricus Hondius and his partner Joannes Janssonius, angry at the sale of plates to their competitor, engaged engravers to cut a number of new plates after those of Jodocus within eighteen months so that they could advance their own atlas.'

The Virginia was one of the first engraved as it appears in Janssonius' "Atlantis Appendix" of 1630. Attractively engraved it is the only Smith derivative to bear an Indian facing the Chesapeake Bay. After the death of Janssonius in 1664 the business was left to a number of different parties. It could not be divided in such a way that ensured the continued production of the various atlases. In 1694 Petrus Schenk acquired all of the "Atlas Major" plates at public auction from the heirs of Jansson van Waesberge, and began issuing the maps with his own imprint.

#12

A Chart of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

Fielding Lucas, Jr. Hand-colored, 1852. 28.5x40".

This large-scale sea chart of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays is one of the most decorative and desirable charts of the area. The chart depicts great detail from the entrances to the bays on the Atlantic Ocean to Washington D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia, and extending up the James, York and Rappahannock rivers. Miniature bird's-eye plans of the key cities are shown, adding to the attractiveness of this chart. The waters are filled with soundings, shoals and other navigational hazards. Four profile views of the coast are depicted - Cape Henry, Smiths Point Light House, Windmill Point, and Cape Henlopen - three of which include lighthouses. Lighthouses and Light Boats are marked throughout the chart with notes about the lights at each. Another noteworthy feature is the inclusion of tide tables for both bays. Engraved by John and William Warr and sold by Hagger & Brother, a prominent Baltimore merchant of nautical charts in the mid-nineteenth century. Originally published in 1832, several editions appeared through 1862. This example has corrections through 1852.

Fielding Lucas, Jr. was a successful cartographer and map publisher in Baltimore. Lucas is best known for his General Atlas of 1823, which is considered one of the finest general atlases produced in the U.S. at the time, due to the high quality paper, superior engraving quality, and attractive coloring style. This chart is the only chart known to be published by Lucas. It is significant for the innovative use of color to distinguish the navigational hazards and lighthouses.

#13

Plan of Alexandria

United States Coast Survey. Engraving, 1862.16x21.25".

Shows selected buildings and churches.

#14

A New Map of North America with the West India Islands divided according to the Preliminary Articles of Peace, Signed at Versailles, 20 Jan. 1783 wherein are particularly Distinguished The United States and the several Provinces, Governments &c…

Robert Laurie & James Whittle. Hand-colored, 1794. 46x20".

This map is a tour de force that is filled with Indian tribes, rivers, towns and villages, early roads, and many notations, a few reproduced here. The most prominent notation reads, in part, thus: "Article III, It is agreed that the People of the United States, shall continue to enjoy unmolested the Right to take Fish of every kind on the Grand Bank, and on all other Banks of Newfoundland, also in the Gulf of St. Laurence, and at all other Places in the Sea…" Another reads "The Divisions in the Map are Coloured according to the Preliminaries Signed at Versailles, January, 20th, 1783." The colors used are red for British, Green for the United States, Blue for French, and Yellow to show Spanish possessions.

Fabulous British wall map on two joined sheets. This is the northern half of this rarely seen map and is the portion showing most of the United States and with the title cartouche. It was originally drawn by Emanuel Bowen and engraved by John Gibson in 1755 to illustrate the French & Indian War. It was revised numerous times, going through a number of title changes and publishers over its long publication. Beginning the 1770s, the map was updated to include surveys compiled by Governor Thomas Pownall, including information from Evans' and other indigenous sources. Governor Pownall’s name first appeared on the map in 1777 and the map was updated to show the newly formed United States in 1783. It provides an extremely detailed view, locates hundreds of settlements and Indian villages, locates many early roads, and is filled with interesting notations. Article III of the fishing treaty is given above the cartouche. The large cartouche features Native Americas and indigenous animals. Very large inset titled "A Particular Map of Baffin and Hudson's Bay" is a great map in its own right. Beautiful, dark impression, particularly in the cartouche. Offsetting in the ocean, and in western portion opposite cartouche.

#15

Nieuwe Wassende Graade Zee Kaart over de Spaanse Zee van

Gerard van Keulen. Hand-colored, ca. 1710. 39x23.5".

This sea chart of the Atlantic is filled with place names along the coastlines. In the western hemisphere, the map extends from Newfoundland to the equator, including the northern coast of South America and the Caribbean Islands. In North America, the majority of the Great Lakes are shown, along with an exaggerated Long Island (Long I. ou Jork Shire), and a large lake (Apalache Lac) in South Carolina. Florida is presented in a triangular shape, with large islands forming the tip and numerous soundings along the coast. The coasts of Britain, France, Spain, and western Africa are shown in the eastern hemisphere. A large cartouche contains the title in Dutch, French and English, and four compass roses complete the composition. Engraved by I. van Anse.

#17

A Map of South America Containing Tierra-Firma, Guayana, New Granada, Amazonia, Brasil, Peru, Paraguay, Chaco, Tucuman, Chili and Patagonia. From Mr. d

Robert Sayer. Hand-colored, 1787. 46.75x40".

This stunning, large-scale map of South America is beautifully engraved and filled with information. A baroque cartouche incorporates a river scene, an Amazon queen, exotic animals and a treasure chest of gold and silver bars and coins. Two mythical lakes, L. Parima and Laguna de Xarayes, appear in northern and central South America respectively. On the shore of L. Parima is a note regarding the fabled town of Manoa or Del Dorado, which was believed to be the "lost city of gold." The Falklands, or Malouine Islands as named by the French, are detailed in an inset chart in the upper right corner. In the lower left, English text describes the political divisions of South America and gives a fascinating summary of its trade goods and strategic importance. For instance, of Terra Firma it is said that "The whole country abounds in Mines of Gold and Precious Stones." Another note describing the Falkland Islands comments, "As Port Egmont, is a very safe & capacious Harbour, It will become of great utility to the British Navy & even to Privateers, in any future War, to annoy the Spanish Trade in the South Sea." Printed on four sheets, joined.

#18

Amerique Meridionale

Maurille Antoine Moithey. Hand-colored, 1788. 21x34.5".

Half of a rare set of North and South American wall maps published by Moithey and Crepy.

Amerique Meridionale shows a detailed South America with an extensive system of rivers. The title cartouche contains a sea god holding an urn pouring water to represent the rivers, and a ship in the background.

#19

To The Right Honorable John Lord Sommers...This Map of North America According To Ye Newest and Most Exact Observations….

Herman Moll. Hand-colored, ca. 1720. 38x22.5".

Moll's map of North America was published circa 1720 in response to Delisle's influential map "Carte de La Louisiane de du Cours du Mississipi" published a couple of years prior. The British hoped to counter Delisle's French claims to the Carolinas with Moll's map, which depicts Newfoundland through the Carolinas under British control and extends British claims to Labrador (New Britain) and the area surrounding Hudson's Bay. In addition, Moll reduces France's claims with Louisiana extending just south of the Ohio River. This is one of the later maps still to show California as an island. California is illustrated with an indented northern coast on the second Sanson model, with New Albion depicted according to Sir Francis Drake and Mozeemleck Country and Straits of Annian to the north. Lahontan's fabled R. Longue and great salt lake of the Gnacsitares appear just east of Mozeemleck Country. The map also shows the tracks of Captain Hudson and Captain James' in their searches for a northwest passage in the early 17th century. Ten insets of harbor plans fill the bottom left corner, including Boston, New York, Charlestown, Port Royal, St. Johns, Acapulco, Cartagena, and Havana.

As with many of Moll's large maps, this map incorporates numerous decorative elements. An elaborate title cartouche dominates the upper left corner with a dedication to the Right Honourable Lord John Somers, an English Whig jurist and statesman who is known for his role in the Bill of Rights in England in 1689. The title is flanked by Indians and Eskimos, tropical birds, and the coat of arms of the Somers family with the Latin motto "Prodesse Quam Conspici" (to Accomplish Rather than to Be Conspicuous). A large vignette below the title illustrates the important cod fishing industry in Newfoundland, which lends this map its nickname as the "Codfish Map." The vignette shows numerous steps within the process, including fishing, carrying, salting, pressing, and drying the fish.

#20

A New Map of the North Parts of America claimed by France under ye Names of Louisiana, Mississipi, Canada and New France with ye Adjoyning Territories of England and Spain

Herman Moll. Hand-colored, ca. 1740. 40x25".

Nice example of Moll's detailed map of North America, including California as an island, in unusally nice condition, without the normal fold discoloration for this map. Moll's map was originally published in 1718, following the publication of Delisle's 1718 map of the Mississippi Valley. Although Moll appears at first to copy Delisle's 1718 "Carte de la Louisiane et cours du Mississipi . . .", Moll actually enlarges Delisle and attacks the veracity of the French claims in America as reflected in Delisle's map. As noted by Cumming,
"Moll calls upon the English noblemen, gentlemen, and merchants interested in Carolina to note the 'Incroachments' of the French map on their 'Properties' and on the land of their Indian allies. The map presents details of the Southeast found in no other printed map. The chief source of this information is a large, unsigned, undated manuscript map in the Public Record Office, from which Moll took much information on trading paths, Indian tribes, French, Spanish, and English forts and settlements, rivers, and other topographical data."

In The Mapping of the American Southwest, Reinhart notes,
"Moll's mapping of Texas and northern Mexico is both informative and appealing. He was best at coastal geography, depicting with some accuracy the coastal features, barrier islands (e.g., Padre Island), and identified rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. The rivers often continue deep into the interior, where there is less detail, but Moll does indicate various Indian tribes.... But most intriguing are Moll's notations. For example, he mentions several times the Spanish cattle gone wildthe famous Texas longhorns of later yearsby noting 'Country full of Beeves' or 'This Country has vast and Beautiful Plains, all level and full of Greens, which afford Pasture to an infinite number of Beeves and other Creatures' in East Texas near the 'R. Salado.' Nearby also is noted, 'Many Nations [of Indians] on ye heads of this Branches [of several rivers] who use Horses and Trade with the French and Spaniards.'"

Moll voraciously defends the English claim to the territory east of the Mississippi and gives back part of Florida to Spain; in the Advertisement text, Moll states: "All within the Blew Colour of this Map, shows what is Claim'd by France under the Names of Louisiana, Mississipi &c. According to a French Map published at Paris with the French King's Privelege. The Yellow Colour what they allow ye English. The Red, Spain..."

The map is one of four large maps of North America by Moll, which distinguished him as the leading English mapmaker of the early 18th Century. The present edition lists the names of Moll, John King, Thomas Bowles and John Bowles.

#21

A New and Exact Map of the Dominions of the King of Great Britain on ye Continent of North America . . .

Herman Moll. Hand-colored, 1731. 40x24".

Moll's map of the British Colonies is the first large-scale map to show English developments in North America and the first to show the American postal routes.

Moll's map was the first and one of the most important illustrations of the ongoing dispute between France and Great Britain over boundaries separating their respective American colonies.. Pritchard notes that "The map was the primary exponent of the British position during the period immediately following the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713." All territory south of the St. Lawrence River and eastern Great Lakes is shown as British. Numerous notations relating to territorial claims, Indian tribes, the fur trade, and the condition of the land cover the face of the map. This map shows the early eighteenth century postal routes in the British colonies, and is frequently called the first American postal map.

Moll's "Beaver Map" is one of the most accurate of the period. It is notable for being among the first and most important cartographic documents relating to Anglo-French disputes over the boundaries separating their respective American colonies. Even the insets are of great importance, most notably Indian Agent Thomas Nairne's important and early map of South Carolina, along with a map showing the English, French and Indian settlements in the Carolinas and a plan of Charleston Harbor.

The most striking feature of Moll's map is the vignette showing Niagara Falls with beavers at work. The view of Niagara Falls, without the beavers, was first published in Utrecht in 1697, as part of Louis Hennepin's Nouvelle decouverte d'un tres grand Pays Situe dans l'Amerique. In 1713, Nicholas de Fer, cartographer to the French King, copied Hennepin's view and added the famous beavers on his "Carte de La Mer du Sud & de La Mer du Nord." Beaver pelts were a significant part of a highly successful American fur trade, an industry that was used to promote settlement in America. The industrious nature of beavers, moreover, symbolized the notion that control of the land, and the wealth created therefrom, was brought about by hard work.

Moll was one of the most well-known cartographers in England of his generation. Moll emigrated from the Netherlands to England around 1680, settling in London, where he established his own shop in 1689. Moll's style grew increasingly distinctive as his career progressed, and his maps remain noted for their elaborate design and clarity of lettering. He was also known for including numerous legends on his maps that give historical information about the geography, inhabitants and general features of the areas shown.

#22

Plan of the City of Washington in the Territory of Columbia: Ceded by the States of Virginia and Maryland to the United States of America, and by them Established as the Seat of their Government, After the Year MDCCC

Andrew Ellicott. Engraving, 1792. 20x26.75".

This 1792 map was among the first printed plans of Washington, D.C., the new seat of government for the federal government. Its location on the Potomac River was determined as a result of the Compromise of 1790. Thomas Jefferson and his supporters agreed that the nation would take on state debts incurred during the Revolutionary War in exchange for the mid-Atlantic capital site selected by George Washington. Though Maryland surveyor Andrew Ellicott created this map, he based it on designs by French engineer Pierre L'Enfant.

#23

Chart of the Head of Navigation of the Potomac River Shewing the Route of the Alexandria Canal: Made in Pursuance of a Resolution of the Alex

William James Stone. Engraving, 1838. 18.5x36".

A nautical chart of the Potomac estuary within the District of Columbia. Oriented with north toward the lower right. Show proposed railroad routes connecting central Washington and Alexandria.

#25

Washington and Georgetown harbors, District of Columbia

U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Engraving, 1882. 17.75x29.5".

#27

Plan of the Town of Alexandria in the District of Columbia, 1798

George Gilpin. Engraving, 1798. 24.5x17.75".

From the Alexandria Times: "Most Alexandria residents have probably seen a copy of what area historians refer to as the “Gilpin Map” of the 18th-century city and would easily recognize the street grid that we now call Old Town. However, a closer inspection of this important document makes it all the more significant in understanding the history and development of the Port City.

The draftsman of the Plan of the Town of Alexandria in the District of Columbia 1798 was Col. George Gilpin, an Alexandria resident and close confidant of George Washington. Gilpin fought with Washington in the American Revolution and later served with the general as one of four directors of the Potomac Co., a canal project designed to link the Chesapeake Bay with the Ohio and Mississippi rivers in the hopes that Alexandria would become a major seaport.

The engraver of the map was Thomas Clarke, of New York. John V. Thomas, who maintained the Alexandria Advertiser, published it in late 1799. The map was completed just 10 days before Washington’s death.

One major feature of the map often is overlooked by the casual viewer — the intersection of the north arrow and directional lines that are offset at a 45-degree angle with the southern point of the District of Columbia at the first boundary stone set for the nation’s capital. Black surveyor Benjamin Banneker set that stone in 1791, immediately adjacent to the Jones Point Lighthouse where Great Hunting Creek meets the Potomac River.

Interestingly, the map not only traces all public streets existing in Alexandria at the turn of the 19th century, but none show a point of termination. Gilpin obviously anticipates the ongoing expansion of the city westward, and by adding fill into surrounding waterways, at some future date.

The city also appears somewhat isolated from points north and south, a fact confirmed by records of road extensions northward from Washington Street and southward across Hunting Creek that did not occur until nearly a decade later. Only the remains of the old Rolling Road from the Little River Turnpike and what became Duke and Commerce streets provide a point of entry from the west.

In one small section of the map, Gilpin carefully includes facts about block sizes, street widths and the depth of the river channel.

After publication, the cooper-plate for the plan was lost for nearly 150 years, and a limited edition was only republished in 1944 by Mr. and Mrs. Mangum Weeks, of Alexandria. At that time, there was only one known edition of the map."

#34

Birds Eye View of Alexandria, Va.

Charles Magnus. Hand-colored, 1863. 14x23.25".

Charles Magnus's lithographic view shows the river port of Alexandria, Virginia, during its occupation by Federal forces. Oriented looking westward from the Potomac River teeming with ships, the artist details the streets ascending from the shore, houses, public buildings, important military sites, and the Orange and Alexandria Railroad depot.

#35

A Plan of Alexandria now Belhaven

George Washington. Pen and ink, 1749. 14x17.25".

George Washington drew this town plan of Alexandria, Va., the first map of the city. The town was formally incorporated on July 13, 1749, and consisted of 84 lots, most of which were 0.5 acres in size. The site for this new town focused on a tobacco inspection warehouse and the stores of several Scottish merchants, located on the Potomac River just north of Great Hunting Creek in a small community that was originally known as Belhaven. Washington apparently prepared the map to send to his half-brother Lawrence, who was in England at the time, to show him the two town lots that had been purchased for him. Based on this map, early biographers erroneously concluded that Washington personally designed or was at least heavily involved in the city's formation. While the map is clearly in Washington's hand, there is no documentary evidence to support the claim of Washington's involvement. It is more likely that Washington derived or copied these from originals drawn by someone else,in this case John West Jr., Deputy Surveyor of Fairfax County, whom he assisted in surveying boundaries and lots. Nevertheless, the map stands as a unique example of 18th-century planning and Washington's career as a surveyor and mapmaker.

#42

City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard

George Cook. Aquatint Engraving, 1834. 17.5x24.5".

One of the great views of the Nation's Capital. Washington is shown from the south bank of the Anacostia River. On the right is the Washington Navy Yard, est. 1799, behind is the original Capitol Building and to the left is the White House. The painter of this view is George Cooke. He and the engraver, William Bennett, teamed up to produce four folio-size views of American cities; this series was Cooke's most notable, and also depicted Richmond, Virginia, West Point, New York, and Charleston, South Carolina. This very rare print is in good condition, with its original color. A brother print is also at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, however it is currently not on display to the public.

George Cooke (1793-1849) was and American portraitist active in the South right before the emergence of the Hudson River Vally School style, the first native school of art in the country, A self-taught painter, Cooke eventually studied in England, France, and Italy, and received his first formal training under Charles Bird King (1785-1862), a famed Native American portraitist. Cooke also painted landscapes and historical scenes, and it was from these paintings that his patron, Daniel Pratt, built a gallery in which to house them.

#43

Mappe-Monde ou carte General de la Terre Divisee en Deux Hemiapheres Suivant la projection la plus commune ou Tous les Points Principaux sont Placez sur les Observations…

Nicholas de Fer. Hand-colored, ca. 1705. 39.25x60.75".

An extremely rare Dutch wall map of the world. “The map is an ornamental masterpiece, issued by Nicholas de Fer to celebrate the success of the Paris Observatory and the Royal Academy in observing the movement of the planets”- Shirley. The surrounding decoration was designed and engraved by Nicolas Guerard, and the surrounding panels of text are dated 1708. Dating the map is complicated, as it was originally issued in 1694 without accompanying text (only three known examples of the first edition are cited by Shirley), and then reprinted in 1705 with the side panels of text. Later editions were issued in 1717, 1720, 1730, and 1737. The editions of 1730 and 1737 were not issued by de Fer at all, but by his son-in-law, Guillaume Danet. The accompanying text panels which surround the map are also dated separately, usually with a different date than that on the map itself. Shirley gives this map his highest rarity rating of “RRR”, and notes that the majority of the known examples of this map are dated 1717 and later, making this one of the earlier known issues.

#44

A Map of the Most Inhabited Part of Virginia containing the Whole Province of Maryland with part of Pensilvania, New Jersey and North Carolina

Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson. Hand-colored, ca. 1775. 31x48.5".

A nice example of the 1775 edition of Fry & Jefferson’s map of Virginia and Maryland, widely regarded as the most important and influential 18th century map of Virginia and Maryland.

Originally prepared by Joshua Fry of William & Mary and Peter Jefferson (father of President Thomas Jefferson), at the request of Lord Halifax in 1751, the Fry-Jefferson was a monumental leap forward in the mapping of the region. It is the first map to accurately depict the Blue Ridge Mountains and the first to lay down the colonial road system of Virginia. A great number of plantations are located and include the family names of the Virginia plantation owners of the period. The cartouche, showing a tobacco warehouse and wharf, is one of the earliest printed images of the Virginia tobacco trade.

One of the first actions of Lord Halifax upon becoming president of the Board of Trade and Plantations in 1748, was to request information concerning activities in the Frontiers and of potential French encroachments on the British territorial claims. In 1750, the Board required that each colony conduct a comprehensive survey. The acting Governor of Virginia, Col. Lewis Burwell commissioned Fry & Jefferson to prepare a map of the Virginia colony.

Joshua Fry, a mathematician at the College of William and Mary, and Peter Jefferson, a surveyor (father of Thomas Jefferson), had together previously drawn the boundaries of Lord Fairfax's lands in 1746 and surveyed the Virginia-North Carolina boundary in 1749. First issued in 1751, the map incorporates the original surveys of Fry & Jefferson with existing data. A major revision in 1755 incorporated important information about the western part of the colony from the journals of John Dalrymple and Christopher Gist, the latter of whom is credited in the upper left part of the map with having contributed to the revisions. It is the 1755 edition that forms the basis for the subsequent editions.

The map is known in 8 editions. The first four states are so rare as to be virtually unobtainable. The present example is state 6, which includes the updated 1775 date but is otherwise identical to the 1768 edition, the first obtainable state.

#45

[View of Capital Building and Washington D.C.] Topographical Map of Virginia between Washington and Manassas Junction

Charles Magnus. Hand-colored, ca. 1863. 7.5x9".

Published by Charles Magnus, this rare letter sheet map details a bird’s-eye view of the Capitol building in the upper panel, and a descriptive map of northern Virginia and Washington in the panel below. The top panel image shows the city stretched out behind the Capitol, as well as the preliminary plan of the Washington Monument. The completed Capitol building with the Statue of Freedom on top helps date this piece, for the Statue was not placed atop the dome until 1863. The map below details roads, railways, towns, and cities, and even notes the location of the Battle of Bull Run, with “Rebel” positions indicated. Several of the cities that are labeled are Fairfax, Mt. Vernon, Fort Washington, Hunter’s Mill, and Prospect Hill.

#46

USS Constitution vs. HMS Guerriere

A.A. Orlinski. Oil on canvas.

#1

Battle of Copenhagen

A.A. Orlinski. Oil on canvas.

#2

Naples

A.A. Orlinski. Oil on canvas.

#3

A.A. Orlinski. Oil on canvas.

#4

A.A. Orlinski. Oil on canvas.

#6

HMS Shannon

A.A. Orlinski. Oil on canvas.

#7

Brest, France

A.A. Orlinski. Oil on canvas.

#8

HMS Java vs USS Constitution

A.A. Orlinski. Oil on canvas.

#11