The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498–1909. Compiled from Original Sources and Illustrated by Photo-Intaglio Reproductions of Important Maps, Plans, Views, and Documents in Public and Private Collections.6 vols.New York: R. H. Dodd, 1915–1928.

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Pictured here is an original and highly collectible rare set of six volumes (with a picture of the inset foldout map) entitled The Iconography of Manhattan Island, compiled by Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes. I was introduced to the idea for this blog post by my professor, Francis Marrone, in an NYU historic preservation class. As a New Yorker and a book enthusiast, I’m excited to offer a brief introduction to these remarkable books and their connection to our beautiful city.

In addition to being a philanthropist and preservationist, I.N. Phelps Stokes was an architect and historian of New York City. He designed many significant buildings, including St. Paul’s Chapel at Columbia University. Completed in 1928, The Iconography of Manhattan Island remains, as architect Norval White (1926–2009) once declared, “the most exhaustive record of a built place ever attempted, let alone fulfilled.” Stokes is said to have had a near obsession with mapping Manhattan from the time of the first Dutch colony, and after nearly 20 years of exhaustive (emotionally, financially, and logistically) research, he completed the project. His first edition print run yielded 402 sets of the six volumes (360 sets printed on Holland-made paper and 42 on Japanese vellum). A note inside the book mentions that some of the printing paper is of English origin rather than Holland, apologizing for paper shortages that occurred during WWI. An original set resides at the New York Public Library, with a hand-penned note from Stokes himself. However, despite its magnificence, The Iconography is often treated more as an encyclopedia and referenced as such by some writers, rather than gaining the status of a rare book.1

Stokes and his team spent a large portion of their time tracking down materials for the book, using worldwide public collections of maps and various unusual sources to compose The Iconography. It describes the growth of a fortified Dutch colony through British colonization, evolving into what is now New York City. The project expanded over time to fill six volumes, containing stories about both humble individuals and more familiar heroic figures. It is often noted that Stokes spent most

of his fortune recovering the history of Manhattan’s built environment for this project. As documented on the website dedicated to this book, Manhattan's Icon (https://manhattansicon.com), Volumes I-V are topographical materials which are accompanied by essays by Stokes, and the last volume, VI, is Stokes' annotated bibliography, or a "New York City researcher's dream." The books include a list of “all known maps—including those thought to be lost—of Manhattan through the seventeenth century,” a “Check-List” of “Early New York Newspapers (1725–1811),” and unparalleled social history chronologies. Francis Marrone says of Stokes’ work, “Iconography is a different form of historical work altogether: an expert gathering and sifting of primary materials, the likes of which we will never see again.” 2

If you happen to be planning a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, perhaps with family or after a leisurely brunch, you may find yourself in the American Wing. There, you’ll see a portrait of Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes standing alongside (or rather, slightly behind and in the shadow of) his wife Edith Minturn Stokes, painted by John Singer Sargent in 1897. Both Stokes and his wife came from wealthy families, but as a couple, they championed progressive causes and identified as socialists. Edith, a strong feminist, was particularly outspoken for her time.3 Reflecting on his life, Stokes remarked somewhat somberly in his memoir about his dedication to The Iconography, “I now realize that it involved an expenditure of time, energy, and money, which was probably out of proportion to the results achieved, and consumed many hours which should have been devoted not only to my office, but to my family, and to social amenities, so that, on the whole, I suspect that it has proved a rather selfish, perhaps even a narrowing, influence on my life.” (I.N. Phelps Stokes, from his 1941 memoir, Random Recollections of a Happy Life)

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1 White, Norval. "A City Bookshelf." The New York Times Books: (September, 7, 1997). https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/09/07/home/newyork.html.

2 Manhattan's Icon, I.N Phelps Stokes and the Chronicle of a City. https://manhattansicon.com

3 Martinez, Hezra. "The True Love Story Behind an Iconic John Singer Sargent Painting." The Archive: (May 14, 2019). https://explorethearchive.com/love-fiercely-excerpt.