This month's featured map is attributed to Matthaeus Seutter and Augustine Herrman and dates from approximately 1740. It is the 3rd state (or edition) of the map, and is part of the Jansson-Visscher series of maps (for comparison, look at Nicholas Visscher's Novi Belgii Novaeque Angliae nec non partis Virginiae tabula, which was featured on Map of the Month in March 2011). For more information on early maps of the eastern United States (including the Jansson-Visscher series), please see this description from Fordham University Libraries.
The map includes a decorative cartouche, illustrations of wildlife, and an indexed view of Manhattan as seen if looking north from Governor's Island. And if you look very closely at the Brooklyn section of the map, you'll see some of the original town names, including Breukelen and Gravesent.
Interested in seeing more maps? You can view the BHS map collection anytime during the library's open hours, Wed.-Fri., from 1-5 p.m. No appointment is necessary to view most maps. Our cataloged maps can be searched through BobCat and our map inventories through Emma.
Map of the Month is part of a project to catalog our map holdings, funded through the Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Collections program. If you would like to help us do more of this kind of work with our exciting map holdings, donate here.
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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