About this sheet
Rand McNally mapped the capital in full for this antique map of Washington, District of Columbia, a double-page plan on pages 102 and 103 of its 1899 indexed atlas, with the four quadrants lettered in bold red.
The diagonal avenues are laid over the grid of Peter Charles L'Enfant, and red diagonal boundary lines divide the district into Northwest, Northeast, Southeast and Southwest. The Capitol grounds, the Mall and the Executive Mansion grounds are picked out in the small green blocks used for public reservations, running down towards the Tidal Reservoir and the Potomac, with Analostan Island in the river and the Virginia shore, printed in pink, in the lower left corner.
Rock Creek and its park form a green corridor through the northwest, past the National Zoological Park and the United States Naval Observatory, while the Soldiers' Home and a cluster of cemeteries, Glenwood, Prospect Hill, Graceland, Mount Olivet and Oak Hill among them, occupy the higher ground to the north. The Ivy City Race Track is marked northeast of the built-up city, and a legend in the upper right distinguishes steam railroads, cable lines, horse car lines and electric car lines, the last still a comparatively recent addition to the district's transit in 1899. Scale bars in feet and metres sit beside the title and legend.
Behind the sheet stands one of the great names of American map publishing. William Rand opened a printing business in Chicago in the 1850s, Andrew McNally joined him, and by the 1890s Rand McNally was one of the leading map publishers in the United States, with a reputation built on railroad and commercial maps kept current from issue to issue.
Technically the sheet is a lithograph with printed colour: the outline was printed in black and the colours were printed over it, so none of the colouring was added by hand. Once framed, this antique map of Washington, District of Columbia, 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.
