Description
Produced and published by one of the early pioneers of the form Albert Ruger, this bird's eye perspective of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, shows the town in a period of considerable growth and transition as the nation rebounded from the American Civil War. The industrial revolution drew residents to the region, eager for work in the numerous manufacturing facilities that were flourishing in the late nineteenth century. The first European settlement was established in 1630 on the banks of the Piscataqua River. The area would continue to grow throughout the following centuries as a thriving trade for upstream markets developed. Ruger's work served as marketing materials to attract residents and merchants alike, and panoramic maps were widely popular during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They bear a distinctive aesthetic, and because they were not illustrated for navigation purposes, they often feature unique artistic flourishes not common with other pieces of cartographical history. The city's location on the Piscataqua across from Kittery, Maine, made it the home of a thriving shipbuilding industry from its early days. It remained a critical part of the Continental Army's Naval Fleet during the American Revolution aiding in the transportation of gunpowder, artillery, and other crucial support like tents and blankets. Bird's eye perspectives immediately transport the viewer back in time, creating a link between the past and present while providing a snapshot of the town's history, evolution, and development. This is a rare piece of late nineteenth-century American cartographical history. Overall Size: 24" H x 36" W
