New York in 1895 - Albany, Rochester, Buffalo

This map of Albany was drawn by city engineer Horace Andrews and published in 1895 by Julius Bien & Co. of New York as part of Joseph Rudolf Bien's Atlas of the State of New York, a survey compiled from original and local surveys revised and corrected under Bien's direction as a civil and topographical engineer. Julius Bien & Co. had built its reputation on chromolithography, and this sheet's wards, parks, and buildings are each washed in their own distinct color rather than left in outline, a level of finish the firm was specifically known for among New York's state atlas publishers. It covers Albany, New York's capital city, at a time when the city was expanding steadily as both a seat of state government and a growing industrial and rail center on the Hudson.

The map lays out Albany's numbered wards in individually colored precincts, recording the city's political divisions ward by ward. Its street grid and railroad lines are traced in detail, reflecting Albany's role as a rail junction linking the Hudson Valley to points west. Public parks are marked throughout the city as recreational open space, alongside major civic buildings tied to the city's role as state capital. The Hudson River runs along the map's eastern edge, the waterway that first made Albany a trading post and still anchored its commerce in 1895. Together these features present a capital city balancing government, industry, and river trade at the close of the nineteenth century.

This map is a natural pick for an Albany or Capital Region family, a collector of New York State capital views, or anyone marking a move to or from the Hudson Valley. It comes from the same 1895 Bien state atlas as our Rochester city plan, though this sheet is Albany's own dedicated ward map rather than a shared or composite view. It's available unframed in a full range of sizes, from a compact study print to a larger statement piece.