1891 Panoramic Map of Salt Lake City, Utah

A stunning 60" x 36" 1891 'bird's eye view' or 'panoramic map' of Salt Lake City, Utah drawn by Henry Wellge for the American Publishing Company of Milwaukee, WI. Unlike earlier panoramic maps of Salt Lake City, Wellge's map was produced in vibrant colors, and depicts a view from the south including the Jordan River and the Great Salt Lake, as well as the northern Wasatch Mountains. Notable landmarks are labeled, including 59 numbered landmarks which are named in a legend at the bottom of the map. There are also nine color drawings of notable Salt Lake City sites along the bottom edge of the map, including 'Garfield Beach,' 'Hotel Ontario,' 'Popperton Place,' and others. 

Henry Wellge was a prolific artist and cartographer who created over 100 such 'panoramic maps' between about 1855 and 1915, during a time that this style of mapping was in vogue. Panoramic maps (also known as 'bird's eye view,' 'perspective' or 'aero view' maps) were artist's depictions of places - often cities and towns - drawn as though viewed from above at a low oblique angle. These maps were generally not to scale, but depicted landscape features, street patterns, and individual buildings in perspective and tended to be both attractive and easy for the layperson to interpret. For these reasons, as well as widespread civic pride during the Victorian era, panoramic maps were popular wall hangings in many American homes.  

The map is printed on Arches BFK Rives 100% Cotton Rag paper, handmade at the Blanchet Frères & Kléber paper mill in Rives, France on a traditional cylinder paper mould. The subtle pattern of the paper fibers is faintly visible with oblique lighting, and lends a supple cloth-like appearance to the whole piece. A dark line from the crease in the original map runs down the center of the print. 

* NOTE: This is a carefully crafted print of the highest quality, but it is not the original work.

**About our Dark Poplar & Antique Brass Hanging Frames