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Rare elaborately decorated mid-19th-century map of New York City and vicinity, issued in commemoration of the Declaration of Independence. One of the most ornate maps of NYC issued during the period. Includes detailed treatment of the streets and neighborhoods of Manhattan (centered horizontally in the map), as well as well as Brooklyn, parts of present-day Queens, and Jersey City and Hoboken. The Manhattan villages of Yorkville (part of present day Upper East Side), Haerlem (present day "Spanish Harlem"), and Manhattanville (present day Harlem) indicated. Central Park had not yet been created, instead there are streets. Brooklyn villages of Bedford, Williamsburgh and Green Point shown. Ravenswood and Astoria in what is now Queens also shown. Insets include a map of Long Island and the greater Metropolitan area and a decorative vignette view of City Hall. New York Bay and the Hudson River are embellished with detailed images of steam ships. Includes the New York City coat of arms. Beneath the cartouche is the text of the Declaration of Independence, showing original signors, surrounded by oval arrangement of round state seals of the 13 original colonies. Th map is surrounded by elaborate arabesque vine border. An explanatory key provides letters and numbers representing universities and colleges; scientific, literary, and benevolent institutions; public buildings; and places of entertainment. These include Rutgers Female Institute, Columbia College, N.Y. University, Bellevue Hospital, Custom House, Arsenal, Castle Garden, American Museum, Bowery Theatre, and Italian Opera. Charles Magnus was one of the largest publishers of Civil War topographical prints and city views, as well as pictorial envelopes with Civil War camp scenes, etc. Magnus' maps were printed on notoriously cheap paper and very few examples of this map have survived. This example has been entirely backed with japan paper to protect against further chipping, etc. There are a number of marginal repairs, several of which extend into the printed image, with some minor loss in the upper right corner, as illustrated. There is also a nare of loss next to Green Point, which has been partially manuscripted in, but is lacking some of the printed images. Despite these infirmities, the map is wonderful, rare and detailed map of New York City. One of the few examples we have ever seen.