1871 PANORAMIC MAP OF CHICAGO -- Large Hand Colored Map Start Price USD 95.00 Current Price USD 95.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, November 21, 2008 End Time Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Location Southeast See more about '1871 PANORAMIC MAP OF CHICAGO -- Large Hand Colored Map' Description *** This week I will be listing some very interesting antique maps, engravings, newspapers and other historic items from my collection, which I have begun selling on eBay. If you'd like to see some of the others, please click on "view seller's other items" (which you will find at the top of this page). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *ANTIQUE ENGRAVED MAP (original) * * * * * Very Detailed Birds-Eye View of * * * * * THE CITY OF CHICAGO * * * * * Beautifully Hand-Colored * * * * * - 1871 - ***** This wonderful wood-engraved map presents a very unique and different view of Chicago than that shown in other maps of the era. Whereas most maps present a “flat” perspective, delineating streets and topographical features two-dimensionally, this aerial (or bird’s-eye) view attempts to create a three-dimensional panorama of Chicago, just as it existed in 1871, when this map was made (or at least, had existed a few weeks before, prior to the destruction of so much of the city in the Great Fire). This is a very large engraved view, measuring 22 inches by 16 inches and it is incredibly detailed. Titled “Bird’s Eye View Of Chicago As It Was Before The Great Fire,” this was printed 137 years ago. What makes this map a truly outstanding display piece, in addition to its size and the great detail work, is that it was later professionally hand-colored, and the result is quite striking! It is the engraved details, literally thousands of them, that make this map so interesting (details which it is virtually impossible to clearly represent in a scan). At the center is the Chicago River, and in the harbor in the foreground, several dozen ships, sailing vessels and steamboats, can be seen. Many topographical and other features are incorporated, and several hundred tiny buildings are shown in the city. In addition, 49 different points of interest are identified in tiny numbers, with a key to their meaning at the bottom. This is an extremely well delineated and richly detailed panoramic view, a piece of Chicago history, and a strikingly decorative antique for display. This bird’s-eye view map is referred to as a “wood engraving” because the plate it was printed from was made from an engraved block of wood - as opposed to, for example, a “steel engraving” or a “copper engraving” (which were printed from directly engraved metal plates). The item being offered in this auction is a double-page wood engraved map printed in Harper’s Weekly almost a century and a half ago. There is a light centerfold crease, as published, but this will be virtually unnoticeable when this engraving is framed, and there are two small remnants of framing tape at the top of the right and left margins, well outside the map area (this map had been framed up until our last move, when it was stored away). This panoramic map is highly displayable and READY FOR FRAMING! This item is ORIGINAL - IT IS GENUINE, NOT A REPRINT OR "REPRO" OF ANY SORT! It is guaranteed to be authentic, and not a later reprint or any type of reproduction! I’m a longtime collector, not a dealer, and over the past 45 years I have collected a great variety of historical memorabilia. After retiring, I decided it was time to sell some of the items from my various collections, and I have found eBay a very good way to reach other collectors who might be interested in some of these. Please see my “feedback” for how others have evaluated the quality of maps and engravings from my collection that I have previously sold on eBay. A BRIEF HISTORY OF WOOD ENGRAVINGS This great antique wood engraved map was produced during the decades when Harper’s employed the very best artists and engravers this country had to offer. The advent of the illustrated journal in the middle of the nineteenth century (Harper's Weekly began in 1857) brought a demand and keen competition for skilled artists and engravers. Within a relatively short time, Harper's Weekly emerged as the leading American illustrated and its artists read like a “Who’s Who” of contemporary American illustrators. To create a wood engraving, the artist would first draw his illustration on the surface of a very hard block of wood. Then the engravers went to work, carving into the wood to produce an original engraved block, from which plates were made for printing the map in Harper's. A Word of Caution: I have noticed for some time now an ever increasing number of reprints and reproductions being offered on eBay. Sometimes they are described as such, and priced accordingly, and I applaud those sellers for their honesty. Although I have personally always collected original engravings and prints, there is certainly a legitimate market for reproductions as long as people know what they are getting! But it is clear from the very careful, but also very misleading wording used by some sellers that they are deliberately trying to present a reprint as an original. (This second type of seller may not meet eBay’s definition of “fraud,” but they meet mine!) Yet equally dangerous to the buyer who doesn’t know a lot about antique engravings are the sellers who themselves don’t know enough about these items to realize that what they’ve got isn’t an original – they sincerely believe that because the print they’ve got is old, and the paper is browned with age, it must be an original! These people are not dishonest, but their assurance of an item’s authenticity is nonetheless worth little more than the “original” items they are selling. Now eBay sales clearly state “caveat emptor,” but that, of course, is easier said than done! Unless you are an expert yourself, you often have to trust that the seller knows his/her field, and is also honest in describing items. Every engraving I have sold on eBay is from my own collection, and I guarantee it is genuine. Many of the items I’ve sold have gone to museums, art dealers, and very knowledgeable collectors – these people know genuine from reproduction! And as far as condition goes, I think that the comments buyers have made in my “feedback” file are a better indication of the quality of the items I've collected than anything I could say myself. ---- PAYMENT AND SHIPPING Note:In accord with eBay’s latest arbitrary policy changes, I can now accept payment only by PayPal. Within a short time after an auction ends, I email winners regarding payment information, followed up immediately by a PayPal invoice. IN ALL CASES, BUYER PAYS ONLY ACTUAL SHIPPING COSTS! This item will be shipped in several layers of cardboard for protection. Because of the resultant weight and the size of the package, for shipping within the United States, Priority Mail is the best (and also fastest) way to send this. For this package, the cost for Priority Mail, with Tracking, is $7.00 postage (which includes no “handling charge” or any such nonsense, just my ACTUAL postage cost). In the event the postage costs more than this, as it sometimes does, I will keep things simple and just pay the difference myself. Postal Insurance is always available for shipping anywhere within the United States (the Post Office charge varying with the amount of Insurance coverage). I go to the Post Office on Tuesdays and Fridays, so shipping generally occurs within 1 to 2 business days of receipt of payment. INTERNATIONAL BIDDERS:Foreign/overseas shipping is not a problem, BUT please consider before you bid that shipments outside the United States have to be at your own risk, as items can’t be insured when sent by regular overseas airmail - an item can ONLY be insured if sent by a much more expensive overseas airpost method. International mailing via air will cost between $4 and $9, depending upon destination. COMBINED SHIPPING: ANY ADDITIONAL AUCTION ITEMS WON WITHIN 10 DAYS OF THIS ONE CAN BE SHIPPED TOGETHER WITH THIS ITEM AT NO ADDITIONAL POSTAL COST! [Please just let me know you plan on bidding on other items so I can delay shipping on any items you already won, in order to be able to combine shipping.] Return Policy: Every item I sell from my collection is guaranteed to be absolutely genuine and this warrantee of authenticity will not expire until I do! Items are also guaranteed to be as described in my listing (which guarantee you will see, if you read the actual comments in my eBay Feedback, is backed by a significant history of satisfied collectors). However, human error is always a possibility, so that in the event an item received is significantly different than described (I did send someone the wrong map last year!), the purchase price will be refunded in full. Any questions, please email before bidding. Thanks! ---- A WORD ABOUT THE SCANS Most of my scans are done at low resolution so that they won't take forever to come up on the computer screen, but this is at the expense of often not doing any real justice to the items I’m offering - as a result my scans are usually a bit weak and blurred, and don’t show much detail. Although they do give a general idea of what an item is like, they often don’t show its quality, which I try to describe accurately in my verbal description. (Please see my eBay “Feedback” for buyers’ comments regarding the quality of the items I’ve previously sold from my collection.) --- IF ANY OF THE PICTURES BELOW DO NOT APPEAR, PLEASE HIT YOUR "RELOAD" BUTTON AND THAT SHOULD DO IT! THE APPARENTLY SOMEWHAT DARK AND DISCOLORED AREAS AROUND THE SIDES OF THE MAP IN THE PICTURE ABOVE ARE ONLY SHADOWS IN THE BLURRED SCAN Powered by eBay Turbo ListerThe free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. Place a Bid!