New-York tribune., 1897-12-12
VIEWS OF OLD NEW-YORK.
QUAINT PRINTS WHICH DATE RACK TO
THE DAYS OF NEW-AMSTERDAM.


FEARED TO THE DUTCH ARTISTS TWO
CENTURIES AND HALF AGO
The exhibition of pictures and maps Of the
city of New-York. from its earliest days down to
the present century, which is now on view'at
the Groler Club is one which connot fail to- at
tract an unusual amount of interest considering
the attention which is being generally given at
present to everything Tat throws new light upon
the history OF Manhattan Island. The maps and
old engravings which have been lent by the
club members numerous enough to make
fine showing the walls of the Exhibition Hal
and in the cases which line the sides OF the
room. Scme of the specimens are valued very
highly, owing to their rarity. This is partiou-
larly true Of the earliest "Nieuw Amsterdam
prints and the we-known Bradford map.
Plans and pictures OF the city executed within
the century which followed the purchase Of the
Island Of Manhattan in 1926 by Director Peter
Minuit are few. Ii is said. by an. authority that
there are not more than seven which can be
regarded without suspicion as having been en-
graved from original surveys. and sketches.
Many more views purport TO be original pro
ductions of this period, but the expert sets them
down after a careful examination IS being
merely copies, more or less disguised. of some
What is commonly regarded as the first en-
graved representation OF the CITY is the famous
little print entitled "T' fort nieuw Amsterdam op
de Manhatans." 1t is found in a volume OF
"Beschrysinghe," by Joost Hartgens. published
at Amsterdam Holland. in 1851, four years after
Peter Stuyvesant became Governor Of the colony
Of New Netherlands. 1t is small measuring not
over five or SIX inches in length. and shows
the early fort and some Indians in canoes
near by
The second view Of New-Amsterdam appears
at the foot Of map OF the province OF New
Netherlands. It's authorship and exact date are
in dispute. some attribu,ing II to Nicolas Joannis
FISCHER and others to Adrian Wander Donck,
both of whom issued maps and pictures between
the years 1850 and 1856. This FisscherVander
Donck view shows the old Dutch church, besides
the fort and some vessels In the harbor. II Is
print which has been copied in many later en-
cravings. The MoDtanus view, so called because
it appears in the Montanus History of New
York. is evidently taken from it.
Tho third New-Amsterdam picture according
to the authority OF G. NJ. Asher, first appeared
upon Hugo Allards second map. 1t also was
copied extensively and in fact was for quarter
OF century the standard representation Of New
Amsterdam among the Dutch mapmakers. 1t Is
pOpuIarly KNOWN as the heCdptuFe Oh INeW-
Amsterdam picture" and the date ascrbed to
II is 1913, when the Dutch succeeded in wrestling
the colony from the English, who had taken II
nine years before and holding 1t for the brief
period of year and quarter. This engraving
is supposed to have been made by the famous
Romeyn de Hooghe, and Is thought to be the
last which owed its origin to the Dutch
The next picture, so far is known. was
made in 1117, when native engraver. William
Burgis. produced a panoramic view Of New.
York two yards in length. This is most inter-
esting and highly valuable picture. Only ono
copy, which is in the possession Of the New
York Historical Society, is known to exist, and
as that requires to be handled az little as pos
sible It Is not among the views at the Groler
Club Several other engravings based upon Il
ire there. however. ard serve to give an accurate
dea Of the old Burgis print One Of these n
the Popple view, engraved In 1888 Another b
entitled THE South Prospect of the City Of
New-York in America" and was engraved for
The London Magazine III 1761.
The picture known the rip Van Dam
Church. Is an interesting and very rare one,
,niy two copies Of It being known to exist II
what was called the New Dutch
Church. built at Nassau and Cedar sts.. in It'll
Below the picture Of the church In the print
ire the words: ..-
TO the Honourable Rip Van Dam, Esq, Press-
lent Of His Majesty's Council for the Provincs