charles-varle-s-important-and-detailed-plan-of-early-baltimore
Lot 7009

Charles Varle's Important and Detailed Plan of Early Baltimore

Lot Details & Additional Photographs
[Charles Varle]; William Warner and Andrew Hanna. WARNER & HANNA'S PLAN OF THE CITY AND ENVIRONS OF BALTIMORE, RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL, & CITIZENS THEREOF, BY THE PROPRIETORS, 1801. Baltimore: Warner & Hanna, dated 1801 on map. Second state. Engraving on wove paper by Francis Shallus, Philadelphia. Topographical plan with streets, landmarks, numerous properties identified by owner name, and extensive details such as gardens and orchards; with insets of New Assembly Room and View of the Market Space Canal; unframed. Wheat & Brun 526.

19 9/16 x 29 7/16 in.

Private South Carolina Collection

Several maps of Baltimore were published following the late-18th-century population growth of the city, including the 1799 first state of Varle and Shallus's plan. After purchasing the plates and making just a few changes, Warner & Hanna reprinted it and it became one of the best known of the early maps of the city. Known for its extreme detail, the map was frequently reproduced leading to a reprint in 1804, another in 1870 by the Lucas Brothers, and with a well-known facsimile published by The Peabody Institute Library in 1947. Not one of these printings, this copy of the map appears to be a true 1801 second state, though now lacking the plate mark and firmly mounted which makes authentication challenging. The extremely scarce plan is found in only a small number of institutions and we located just one previous auction record.

For a similar example, see Swann Auction Galleries, New York, Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Plate Books, December 8, 2022, Lot 24.

Laid down on thin board; margins trimmed and therefore lacking plate mark; with a few spots of foxing, mild even toning, two minor spots of grime, two small areas of staining, several tears (longest 3 in. and some repaired), and minor rubbing (concentrated in margins); the margins additionally with scattered repairs and some chipping to edges; a strong impression and well preserved.