Being a partially printed bilingual French-English form incorporating an ink and watercolor plat, three pages on four, small folio (14.25 x 9.5 in.), signed "Lafon" and entered at New Orleans, February 28, 1806. Shown are 800 acres on the Mississippi River below the city that were being sold by a Pierre Martin to "Messieurs. Johnson et Bradish." No doubt the buyers were the enterprising William M. Johnson and his business partner George Bradish. Presented behind a mat in a plain wooden frame.

Noted architect and city planner Barthelemy Lafon signed this document as deputy surveyor of Orleans Parish, an office he held between 1806 and 1809. Development in and around New Orleans during Louisiana's transition from colonial province to American statehood was largely facilitated by Lafon's talents as an architect, businessman and surveyor.

Lafon's works are rarely offered. This finely rendered plat with its hand-colored illustration is of particular interest since it names Johnson and Bradish, two of early Louisiana's more prominent Anglo citizens. These former ship's captains, both Canadians by birth, had substantial interests in prime real estate and engaged large scale sugar production.










SS 14 x 9 in.; DOA 18.25 x 12.75 in.

By descent from Helen Bradish of New York City

Mounted to the mat with strips of masking tape along the edges; minor points of loss; fold creases; some foxing. Presents well as the document is in overall good condition.

$2,000 - 4,000