Heap, George "The East Prospect of the City of Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylvania”

George Heap (1714-52).  “The East Prospect of the City of Philadelphia, in the Province of Pennsylvania.”  From London Magazine,

Lodon, 1761.  6 3/8 x 19 1/8 (image).  Engraving.  Insets: “the State House,” and “the Battery.”  Large margins.  With folds as issued.  Several short 1/16^th-1/8^{th "} separations along folds at margin edges.  Separations have been filled and reinforced on verso with small patches of old matching laid paper.  Short 1/8" horizontal strip of old tape on verso.  Else, very good condition.  Prints of Philadelphia: 3; Snyder: 25.  A/A

In 1752, in response to an expressed desire by Thomas Penn to have a perspective view of Philadelphia from the east, George Heap, the author of the view of the State House contained in the Scull and Heap map, made a drawing of the Philadelphia waterfront from the New Jersey shore.  This drawing was acquired by Penn, who subsequently had two engravings made from it, a large one in 1754 and a smaller version in 1756, the latter with the addition of views of the State House and the Battery and a city plan.  Five years later, a copy of the smaller version was published in the London Magazine, with the two views inserted in the upper corners.

Heap’s was the first view published of Philadelphia, and it shows the city as a bustling river port of some importance and sophistication.  A mile of the Philadelphia waterfront, from present-day South Street to Vine Street, is depicted in considerable detail.  It shows the major buildings, a number with stately steeples, standing along streets already giving evidence of Philadelphia’s impressively organized grid plan.  In the foreground lies the Jersey shore and Windmill Island, and the river is congested with vessels of all types.  In the upper corners are insets, one with a view of the Battery and the other with a view of the State House taken from Heap’s drawing from the Scull & Heap map.  This is an excellent example of Heap’s wonderful prospect of nascent Philadelphia.

Key:

1.    Christ Church
2.    State House
3.    Academy
4.    Presbyterian Church
5.    Dutch Calvinist Church
6.    The Court House
7.    Quakers' Meeting House
8.    High Street Wharf
9.    Mulberry Street
10.   Sassafras Street
11.   Vine Street
12.   Chestnut Street
13.   Draw Bridge
14.   Corn Mill