New York Archival Prints
100% Archival - Restored - Enhanced - Framed
Giclée Reproduction Fine Art Prints
As a long time resident of the Village of Cooperstown, I was always fascinated and amazed at the accuracy and detail found in the old, original 1890 Bird's Eye View of Cooperstown drawn by, and originally published by, Lucien R. Burleigh in Troy, N.Y.. Lucien was one of the great Bird's Eye View artists, and drew many panoramic views of cities, towns and villages in New York and in some surrounding states
The Bird's Eye Views, sometimes referred to as "maps", were a commercial venture in their day. They were a point of pride for local businesses and residents alike. They were designed to make money for the artists, printers, sponsors and communities, as they were also designed to showcase local businesses and to promote cities, towns and villages for economic development. To see an accurate, almost photo like panorama layout of their city, town or village from the air was a new experience for many people at the time.
To begin the Bird's Eye View process, the artists and printers would find "subscribers" who would agree to buy a certain number of views. Sponsors would pay to have their business identified by a hand drawn number on the image, and their business name included in the numbered index at the bottom of the print. Fortunately, for us today, that index is now an historical document. I would assume that churches and some public places were included in the subscription as a public service. The Bird's Eye views were heavily advertised prior to, and after printing. Prints were then offered for sale locally, by designated agents, from about $1.00.
The Bird's Eye View of Cooperstown first became available for purchase in 1890. At that time, the sole Cooperstown agent for the lithograph was S.J.W. Reynolds, Booksellers and Stationers. They were located on the southeast corner of Main and Pioneer Streets. We have known that location as Augers Book Store.
The original maps were on the smaller side for all of the detail they contained. They were usually not in very good condition when found very many years later. The paper would be brown from age, fragile, faded, creased, stained, holes, torn, etc..
The size of the views could also have been constrained by the size of the Bavarian limestone slabs available for making the original lithographs.
See Troy historian Don Rittners "Burleigh and his Lithographs"
The original Cooperstown 1890 views were approximately 28-1/2" wide x 17" high.
I found myself spending many hours just looking at all of the exhaustive, hand drawn details including carefully and accurately drawn homes, commercial buildings, roads, fences, hills and streams.
Roads here today were not there back then, and some roads back then are not here today. The old Fairgrounds is now the location of the Cooperstown Elementary and High Schools. The grand Averill residence once stood where the Otesaga Hotel stands today. Steamboats, sailboats, and open fields take me back in time to the Village I never knew.
I started to think about how the old view would look if it was carefully restored and then made much larger than its original size, so that all of the fine detail could be seen more clearly, and enjoyed more easily. I decided to take on the task of restoring and enhancing the view using the digital tools available today.
The newly restored and enlarged Cooperstown 1890 View available here today is a result of many days, weeks and months of inquiries, digital restoration and enhancements. The visible texture of the acid damaged paper had to be removed from the background of the image without damaging the image itself. The image was further enhanced, and made more dramatic and three dimensional, by digitally enhancing the clouds, the fine details of which were no longer available for restoration on the old prints.
The location or the existence of the original Bavarian limestone slab, from which the original Cooperstown Bird's Eye Views were printed in Troy NY in 1890, is unknown. It is assumed that it has been lost for many years.
The premium, archival, fine art quality prints of the Cooperstown 1890 View, are not intended to be just reprints of the original. These new prints are intended to bring the original image fully back to life, for every detail to be viewed and enjoyed, while adding a touch of a contemporary tone that will be more relatable and fit in with the many decors, and display options, of today. I wanted to give this spectacular image, and it's original artist, another 100+ years of life. I also wanted to share this wonderful image of this great little Village Of Cooperstown that so many of us here are fortunate enough to call home.
Cathy Cone, of Cone Editions Press in Vermont, pioneers in Fine Art Inkjet Printing, said when she first viewed the restored print file " Your image is quite wonderful ".
I considered that to be a very high compliment.
The image, that was an amazing piece of hand drawn art in its day, is now a more spectacular view of the Village of Cooperstown in 1890, than has ever been seen before.
Viewing the newly restored, high resolution, larger and enhanced Cooperstown 1890 View, is like stepping into the Village of Cooperstown N. Y. of over 125 years ago.
The Cooperstown 1890 Bird's Eye View is in the public domain. Copyright has expired for all works published in the United States before 1923.
James R Dean
Cooperstown
60" X 36" Print shown with Nielsen Profile 99-430
"Brushed German Silver" Frame
THE RESTORED COOPERSTOWN 1890 BIRD'S EYE VIEW