Thirty-eight 19th Century lithographic prints from the collections of the State Archives Division, Kansas Historical Society (KSHS), show many Kansas cities and towns from a novel “bird’s-eye” perspective. The Archives’ entire bird’s-eye print collection is now available on Kansas Memory.
Advances in lithographic printing, a coterie of itinerant (often European-trained) artists, and an increasing interest in town promotion all led to a proliferation of “bird’s-eye” illustrations of many American cities in the several decades following the Civil War.
A few printing firms dominated the bird’s-eye map market in the Midwest. The following firms are the most frequently represented in the KSHS collection:
Lott & Zeuch Lithograph, Chicago, Illinois
Strobridge & Co. Lithograph, Cincinnati, Ohio
Ramsey, Millett, & Hudson Lithograph, Kansas City, Missouri
The earliest prints in the collection actually predate the Civil War and Kansas statehood, being depictions of Sumner in 1858 and Tecumseh in 1859. Middleton, Strobridge & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, created the prints.
The local production of Kansas bird’s-eye illustrations was rare. Topeka resident, Henry Worrall drew a bird’s-eye map of Topeka that was published in Hirons and Bowen’s Directory of Shawnee, Osage, and Wabaunsee Counties in 1887. This is the only known print in the KSHS collection that was created by a Kansan.
August Koch was one of the most prolific bird’s-eye artists in the United States. Five prints attributed to Koch are included in the KSHS collection. Koch spent nearly half of his career working in Kansas City, Missouri.
The most unique print in the collection is an 1879 view of Oak Dale Park in Salina by August Koch. The print promotes the park as the site of the Kansas State Tournament games. The park has hosted the Smokey Hill River Festival since 1977.
See the entire KSHS bird’s eye map collection on Kansas Memory.