Antique Map of Philadelphia, with Delaware River Piers, Rand McNally, 1899

About this sheet

Between the Schuylkill and the Delaware, this antique map of Philadelphia by Rand McNally, 1899, lays out the city's numbered street grid across a double-page sheet on pages 78 and 79 of the indexed atlas, complete with an index of the Delaware River piers.

Fairmount Park, the Zoological Garden and East Park Reservoir are shown in green along the winding course of the Schuylkill through the northwest of the map. Girard College, several large cemeteries including Woodland and Mount Vernon, and the works and rail yards along both riverbanks are named across the pink built-up area.

The pier index fills the upper right corner, listing the wharves north and south of Market Street by name and occupant, a level of commercial detail aimed squarely at shipping and business use. Below it an inset map, "Philadelphia and Vicinity", pulls back to a smaller scale to show Camden on the New Jersey shore and the surrounding townships of Delaware, Montgomery and Gloucester counties in their own colour tints. Scale bars in miles and metres accompany the title panel in the upper right.

Rand McNally's roots lie in a Chicago printing business started by William Rand in the 1850s and joined by Andrew McNally. The firm had become one of the foremost map publishers in the United States by the 1890s, and its indexed atlas of 1899 shows the house speciality at work: railroad and commercial maps revised from issue to issue.

In technique it is a lithograph printed in colour, with the black outline printed first and the pastel colours printed over it. Once framed, this antique map of Philadelphia would suit a home or office in the city today, and it will appeal to collectors of American city plans and local history.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light, even age toning, minor handling wear to the sheet edges and the original central fold as issued. Please review the images for further condition details.

This is an original antique map, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.