Balloonist's-Eye Views

         In doing the research for a rubber block I’ve been working on recently, I discovered a number of nineteenth century aerial views of cities in the UK and USA, and I am absolutely smitten with them.  Panoramic views of cities had been around for centuries and you can see an epic aerial map of Venice from 1500 in this previous post Venice in Relief.  Usually these images were based on views from nearby high ground or from a handy steeple or other tower.  The development of hot air balloons in the 1820s, however, contributed enormously to the genre, which really took off (get it?) in the middle of the nineteenth century.  (To be clear, most of the actual drawing of these maps was done on the ground, using older techniques of mapping and perspective, but ballooning allowed artists to get an actual birds-eye view for the first time, and patrons to be excited about this new-fangled technological marvel.)

        One of my favorites is this giant map of Liverpool from 1865.  I’ve included the full view of one panel to give you an idea of the scope of the thing, in addition to a zoomed-in detail.  The map actually has two of these full panels, and was published as a supplement in the Illustrated London News.  It’s when I look at the detail, however, that I find myself utterly mesmerized.  I’m appreciating the stories implicit in all these buildings with all their windows, the ships, the carts, the tiny people… and I’m simultaneously appreciating the carving of all those precise lines, the choices of pattern and texture, and the technical expertise of the wood engravers.  I used these elements of carving as inspiration for my own block, which seems very complex and detailed to me, but is the equivalent of probably less than 1% of this piece.

        The most deluxe versions of these maps were carefully hand-colored, which you can see in these details of Glasgow and Manchester.  Many of the maps in this genre are (copper) engravings or lithographs, which are much easier ways to produce the detail and accuracy required.  Naturally I’m most excited about the wood engravings like Glasgow and Liverpool, but I included the engraving of Manchester because it’s such a fun image to look at.

        Every map has an agenda, and in the case of these aerial panoramas it’s all about national pride in the glory of great cities mushrooming in the rapid expansion of industrial progress.  There’s a focus on all those ships and warehouses symbolizing trade, while the smoky blocks of mills, which we might consider eyesores, are treated with as much respect as churches and other civic buildings.

        As for my own block I'm working on, it too is inspired by the mills of the early industrial revolution (somewhat earlier than these depictions), and I’ll share it with you before too long!

[Pictures: View of Liverpool from the Mersey, wood engraving from Illustrated London News, 1865 (Image from Historic Liverpool);

Bird’s Eye View of Glasgow in 1864, hand colored wood engraving by Thomas Sulman from Illustrated London News, 1864 (Image from University of Glasgow);

A Bird’s-Eye View of Manchester in 1889, hand-colored engraving by Henry William Brewer from The Graphic, 1889 (Image from The University of Manchester).]