Description
NY Map 4 George Cram New York City
NY Map 4 George Cram New York City. This antique map of New York and Vicinity, Manhattan. From an atlas by George Cram c. 1892. Very good condition. 14.5 x 21.5″
A short word on the history of antique lithographs & printing.
Lithography comes from ancient Greek. Litho- meaning stone and Graphin meaning to write. It is a method of printing based on the admissibility of oil and water. Utilizing a flat limestone surface, a certain kind of limestone coming out of a particular area of Germany had the right porosity to become a lithograph. First developed in 1796, by Alois Sienfelder, an actor, writer and utilized the process in theatrical works. A slab of limestone was drawn upon with a type of greasy crayon, emerged into nitric acid, which burn away what was not protected by the greasy crayon. This was the part left in relief. Once wiped off and inked with ink, it could be pressed or printed onto the prepared paper.
