Rare Massive Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlas of Center City Philadelphia
PA 1916 - 1954 Vol 1 Complete
This book, "Center City Philadelphia," was published in
1916. The last update I see was in 1954.
When closed, this volume measures 27 1/4" X 19 1/2" and weighs in at a very substantial 33 lbs.!
This atlas contains a total of 115 leaves. These consist of the
following:
5 at the front, including the title page, index maps, update
references, etc.
Maps of 53 sections of the city, that include both a "skeleton" map and an "updated" map, totaling 106 leaves. ( Maps numbered 1-53. )
5 maps at the rear, numbered #54 thru #58 that do not include a skeleton version, just an updated one.
The covers are worn, showing tears and cloth tape repairs to the cloth covering the thick wooden boards at the front spine. The maps, which are made from extremely heavy paper stock, show wrinkling. Some of the maps show dirt, while others look to be pristine. All maps are tightly attached to the binding at spine.
Please see the many photos I've uploaded to get a good idea of what is included.
This extremely rare work would be valuable to anyone
interested in the history & development of the City of Philadelphia.
This is some general information about Sanborn atlases:
Founded in 1867 by D. A. Sanborn, the Sanborn Map Company was
the primary American publisher of fire insurance maps for nearly 100 years. The
maps provide a wealth of information, such as building outline, size and shape.
They became essential tools for underwriters to evaluate potential liabilities in urbanized areas.
At the outset of the fire insurance industry, underwriters
visited every property that was under consideration for coverage. As
insurance companies increased their service areas, it was no longer practical
to send people to every insurable property to assess the risk. The Sanborn maps
allowed them to underwrite properties from the office, pooling the cost with
other insurance companies that also subscribed to the maps. It was said that at
one time, insurance companies and their agents ?relied upon them with almost
blind faith?
The Sanborn maps themselves are large-scale lithographed plans
at a scale of 50 feet to one inch. The maps were published in volumes, bound and then updated
until the subsequent volume was produced. Larger cities would be covered by
multiple volumes of maps. Between editions of published volumes, map updates
were sent out as correction slips. Sanborn employees, called
"pasters" or "correctors", would visit subscribers' offices
to paste the slips on top of the old maps.
The maps include outlines of each building and outbuilding;
the location of windows and doors; street names; street and sidewalk widths;
property boundaries; fire walls; natural features (rivers, canals, etc.);
railroad corridors; building use (sometimes even particular room uses); house
and block number; as well as the composition of building materials, including
the framing, flooring, and roofing materials; the strength of the local fire
department; indications of sprinkler systems; locations of fire hydrants, location
of water and gas mains; and even the names of most public buildings, churches
and businesses.
Sanborn Fire Maps are a rich historical resource that offers detailed insights into the built environment of American cities from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century.
I will ship this, but would prefer local pickup. I am also
willing to deliver this in the Philly area.
(Please note: I will be away from April 3rd
thru April 13th. I will be unable to ship, or schedule a pickup
during this time.)
Please get in touch with any questions.
Thanks for viewing my auction.