Bidspirit auction | Large 1891 Map of Bird's

Large 1891 Map of Bird's Eye View of Savannah, Georgia - Description: Rare grand large scale birdseye map view of Savannah, Georgia. The view was drawn by Augustus Koch (1840-?) in 1891. Koch was a German immigrant and one of the most prolific American view makers in history.  A numbered key identifies 102 different businesses, public buildings, and churches. Vignette images include the board of trade building, County court house, De Soto hotel, Guckenhelmer & Sons wholesale house, and Altmeyer & Co's. Dry goods store.This is a collectible vintage authorized republishing of one of the only known originals held by the Georgia Historical Society in 1985 (OCLC locates 1 copy. Georgia Historical Society) [This is not a new copy sometimes sold on the internet for $50]. Framed: Matted and framed under glass. Approx. Dimensions: Sight: 44” W x 29.5” H; Framed:   About: A grand, large-scale bird`s-eye view of this major southern city, as seen looking south from an imaginary viewpoint above the Savannah River. Extremely rare, with only a single institutional example located.The overall impression is of a thriving commercial hub, with mills, warehouses, wharves and facilities for several major rail lines surrounding the relatively ancient city center, which had been laid out along neoclassical lines early in the 18th century. The view gains energy from the profusion of rail traffic, the shipping crowding the Savannah River, and the still-vivid printed and hand color. A numbered key identifies 102 different businesses, public buildings, and churches. Vignette images include the Board of Trade building, County Court House, De Soto hotel, Guckenhelmer & Sons wholesale house, and Altmeyer & Co`s. dry goods store. References:  OCLC #586071023; Reps, Views and Viewmakers, #745. Both list only a single example at the Georgia Historical Society. The great collection of views at the Library of Congress holds only a 1980s facsimile of the Historical Society copy.