Mapping New York [Hardcover]

"an intriguing and fanciful overview" The New York Times
"This beautifully illustrated book appeals to more than the map fetishist or the academic" City Arts

Mapping New York is a richly illustrated documentation of the history of the city by means of the medium of cartography. Tracing the development of New York—from its inception as a Dutch colonial trade post, through periods of huge urban expansion, to the city’s current position as a global cultural leader—the book reveals the myriad uses of mapping and its potential as a document both historical and forward-looking, cultural and personal. Featuring over 150 images of the city and its Five Boroughs, Mapping New York is an enthralling and fascinating observation of an inimitable metropolis.
Taking a visual journey through the archaic, the informative, the decorative, and the sometimes obscure, Mapping New York reveals groundbreaking and insightful historical details through maps such as John Randel Jr.’s The Commissioners Plan and the early era topographic record of The British Headquarters Map. The Fire Insurance maps of William Perris and G.W. Bromley, as well as transit planning images such as the 1922 Third Avenue Railways System Map provide an intricate view of the city and how its services have developed.
The inclusion of more practical street information, and of commuter subway and railway maps,such as the seminal 1972 image by Massimo Vignelli, up to cutting edge re-designs by designers like Kick and Zero Per Zero, provide a perspective on the more day-to-day social workings of New York.Designs concerning unwanted municipal surveillance and the repercussions of nuclear attacks afford a darker commentary on life in the city. And finally, re-imaginings by notable artists such as Jonas Mekas and Aleksandra Mir document a more personal, abstract way into the cityscape.
With an introduction by Robert Neuwirth and Seth Robbins—New York residents and contributors to Time Out, The Nation, and The New York Times—Mapping New York is divided into thematic sections that consider history, services, everyday life, and re-conceptualizations of the city. As such, Mapping New York is designed to appeal to the reader with a casual interest in the city, whilst also providing the specialist cartographic enthusiast with new and engaging imagery.