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Source Description
Viewing Boston from the ocean was not a novel concept originated by 19th century bird’s eye view artists. This Revolutionary War era landscape scene, published with a collection of nautical charts, depicted Boston Harbor as it would have appeared to approaching ships. While not technically a map or chart, coastal and headland views were also considered navigational aids. Such graphic images assisted ship captains in identifying prominent landmarks as they entered the harbor. Clearly visible on Boston’s late 18th-century skyline are numerous church spires and a flag on Beacon Hill.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
7h149z72h
label
A view of Boston
core
obj
dtoType
map
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7h149z72h
contentType
map
stage
normalized
title
A view of Boston
description
Viewing Boston from the ocean was not a novel concept originated by 19th century bird’s eye view artists. This Revolutionary War era landscape scene, published with a collection of nautical charts, depicted Boston Harbor as it would have appeared to approaching ships. While not technically a map or chart, coastal and headland views were also considered navigational aids. Such graphic images assisted ship captains in identifying prominent landmarks as they entered the harbor. Clearly visible on Boston’s late 18th-century skyline are numerous church spires and a flag on Beacon Hill.
date
["1779"]
year
1779
rights
No known copyright restrictions.
rightsUri
No known restrictions on use.
reuseAllowed
no restrictions
language
English
identifierLocal
06_01_004512
creators
Des Barres, Joseph F. W. (Joseph Frederick Wallet), 1722-1824
institution
Boston Public Library
collections
American Revolutionary War-Era Maps
Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center Collection
Maritime Charts and Atlases
subjects
Boston Harbor (Mass.)--Pictorial works--Early works to 1800
subjectsGeographic
Boston Harbor
Massachusetts
North and Central America
United States
genreBasic
Maps
typeOfResource
Cartographic
Still image
country
United States
state
Massachusetts
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
pageCount
1
source
import
pubPlace
[London]
publisher
Published by J.F.W. Des Barres
Source extras
institutionArkId
sf268508b
collectionArkId
dn39z222j
schema:latitude
42.3333
schema:longitude
-70.9667
extent
1 view ; 42 x 72 cm.
notes
Aquatint with etching.
Shows ships in Boston Harbor, with distant view of the city.
From the author's Atlantic Neptune.
hasTranscription
no
dcId
7h149z72h
type
map
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
0e5201c0f075390e