1856 Philadelphia
The Vintage Map Shop
Regular price $35.00
Unit price per
By: Joseph H. Colton
Date of Original: 1856 (published) New York
Original Size: 14 x 17 inches
This fine print reproduction showcases an 1856 plan of Philadelphia originally published by the acclaimed American mapmaker Joseph H. Colton as part of his 1856 Atlas of the World.
Colton’s city plan is richly detailed and hand-colored by ward, delineating the urban grid with named streets, docks and piers along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers, railroads, public buildings, university grounds, parks, and cemeteries, all framed within his signature decorative border and distance scale at bottom center. The map’s clarity and precision reflect Colton’s reputation for high-quality engraving and comprehensive city charts during the mid-19th century.
In the mid-1850s, Philadelphia was undergoing major transformation following the Act of Consolidation of 1854, which unified the city with all of Philadelphia County and greatly expanded its boundaries. This reorganization brought rapidly growing neighborhoods under a single municipal government at a time when Philadelphia ranked among the largest cities in the United States.
The city had evolved from an early port town into a major industrial and transportation center, with railroads, canals, and improved road networks linking it to the interior and driving manufacturing growth. The expansion of universities, hospitals, and landscaped cemeteries such as Laurel Hill reflects changing urban planning and social infrastructure, while Colton’s 1856 plan captures Philadelphia at a pivotal moment on the threshold of modern urban development.
Inventory #NA119