Varlé, Charles “To the Citizens of Philadelphia This New Plan of the City and its Environs is respectfully dedicated by the Editor”

Charles Varlé.  (ca. 1770-1835)  “To the Citizens of Philadelphia This New Plan of the City and its Environs is respectfully dedicated by the Editor.”   Missing bottom margin title “Philadelphia 100 Years Ago.” 

Washington D.C., W. E. Lyndall, [1796] 1875.  17 3/4 x 24 1/2 (neat lines).  Facsimile lithograph reproduced from the original by J. H. Toudy.  Uncolored as originally issued.  Margins trimmed to neat lines with exception of artist name bottom left margin corner.  Insets of: State House complex, Library Company and Bank of the United States.  Slight wave in paper.  A few small surface abrasions.  Else, good condition.  Snyder, City of Independence, 167A; Philips, A Descriptive List of Maps and Views of Philadelphia, 1926, #178.  

Charles Varlé (b. 1770) was a French engineer, surveyor and geographer who emigrated to the United States in about 1794.  Early on he used the name Peter and the initials “P. C.” but in the years after 1807 he changed to Charles.  He created this detailed survey in 1794, and in 1796 a first edition was engraved by Robert Scott and published. This is a remarkable plan of Federal Philadelphia for its detail and delicate French influenced beauty. Names of many prominent landholders are given throughout the city and a key on the left to indicate the various streets and buildings shown on the map.

This 1875 facsimile map, with the missing bottom margin title, “Philadelphia 100 Years Ago”, was lithographed by H. J. Toudy & Co. for the Centennial celebration of 1876.  We can date this map as being printed by Toudy as Varlé’s last name is spelled incorrectly in the bottom left as “Varte” and there is no accent mark on the letter “e” in his name.