Guide Map of Chicago

BLANCHARD, Rufus (1821-1924).

Published by Chicago: Rufus Blanchard, 1869.

About this Item

Fine folding lithographed pocket map on bank note paper (21 4/8 x 16 4/8 inches) of Chicago showing the individual wards, with original hand-colour in full (some small holes at folds, folds strengthened on verso with tape). Original black cloth, gilt, folder (bookplate removed from front paste-down, a little scuffed); preserved in a modern green cloth folding slipcase. An early, rare version of Blanchard's map, this issue without vignettes in the margin, showing Chicago before the Great Fire of 1871. Blanchard re-issued this map with revisions over a number of year, including in his "Citizen's Guide for the City of Chicago". The map is coloured to show each of Chicago's wards, as they were designated in 1837 when the city was incorporated. The gridiron pattern of streets reflects James Thompson's first survey of the city in 1830. The stockyards are shown outside the wards. Blanchard published the "first of his many street-guides to Chicago in 1857 (Graff 325), and they proved popular and useful to both visitors and residents. One of the most active map publishers in Chicago during the later half of the nineteenth century, Blanchard established his Chicago Map Store in 1854 and published high-quality maps until his death. He also issued guides and histories of Chicago, Cook County, and the Northwest Territories. Blanchard's shop, still in existence today, manufactures globes as the George F. Cram Company, named after his nephew and original partner" (Dorothy Sloan). For more on Blanchard, see Marcia Selmer's "Rufus Blanchard: Early Chicago Map Publisher" (in Chicago Mapmakers, Michael Conzon, ed., 1984).

Seller Inventory # 72map189

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Guide Map of Chicago
• Publisher: Chicago: Rufus Blanchard, 1869.
• Binding: Hardcover
• Seller catalogs:
  • Chicago
  • Map