“The South Prospect of the City of New York in America” unknown artist, after William Burgis (British, active America 1716–1731) wall mral early to mid-20th century, New York, NYLikely commissioned by Sons of the RevolutionSM in the State of New York, InC.

 What did the shoreline of Lower Manhattan look like in 1717? Depending on who you ask and what they site as a reference, you may hear different descriptions. 

A mural on the wall of Fraunces Tavern Restaurant’s Bissell Room, likely painted sometime in the early- to mid-20th century, depicts a wide view of the shoreline of Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn Heights circa 1717. A casual viewer might assume that the mural depicts a historical scene at one place in time at first. But if you look more closely, you'll see that this mural is a careful mix of views of Lower Manhattan’s shoreline at three different times between the early- to mid-18th century as interpreted by three different artists. These different points of view give us a fascinating look at how people's impressions of New York have changed, grown, been reproduced and consumed over time.  

“‘The Burgis View.’” Jacob Leisler Institute, jacobleislerinstitute.org/burgis-view/. Accessed 10 Sept. 2025.

“‘The Burgis View.’” Jacob Leisler Institute, jacobleislerinstitute.org/burgis-view/. Accessed 10 Sept. 2025.

William Burgis drew his depiction of Lower Manhattan in 1717, and it was later published as a six-foot-long engraving by John Harris in England around 1719 [1]. This is the oldest known drawing from which the Restaurant’s mural is based. From his vantage point in Brooklyn Heights, Burgis created a picture that included well-known landmarks like City Hall, the Dutch Church, and part of Nutten Island (now known as Governor's Island). His "prospect" was more than just landscape art; it was a sign of status that people often displayed in well-furnished homes of the time to show off their worldly knowledge and civic pride [2]. 

The South Prospect of the City of New York in America, showing details of the citizens occupying new york.

In 1739, engraver Thomas Bakewell issued a restrike of Burgis’s original drawing from London with additions and corrections. Bakewell added more ships in the harbor, groups of trees, people in the foreground, and coats of arms[3].  

Another interpretation appeared in The London Magazine in 1761, engraved by an anonymous artist[4]. This rendition reverted to Burgis’s simpler format but introduced dark, billowing clouds to the sky. This additional detail may have represented the escalating tensions between Great Britain and the citizens of her North American colonies as a result of the Seven Years War, which would eventually boil over into the American Revolution.  

All three views of Lower Manhattan are combined in the mural inside Fraunces Tavern Restaurant. The mural borrows the original layout and shoreline from Burgis, inherits the bustling ships and human figures from Bakewell, and incorporates the swirling clouds from the 1761 version. A banner reading “City of New York 1717” ties the mural back to the engraving that inspired this work. 

The South Prospect of the City of New York in America, showing the ships in the mural.

By combining these interpretations, the mural does more than simply depict New York City; it reminds us that no historical image is fixed. Each version of the Burgis view conveys something different—not only about the city itself but also about the time and audience for which it was created. 

 We invite you to visit our exhibition, Governing the Nation from Fraunces Tavern, where another verison of the Lower Manhattan shoreline depicted by Burgis is displayed as part of a map drawn by Bernard Ratzer from surveys in 1766 and 1767. Notice the layered history—not just of buildings and geography, but of vision. After all, every generation has its own perspective on New York. 

 References 

Foy, Charles R. “Seeking Freedom in the Atlantic World, 1713–1783.” Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal 4, no. 1 (May 2006): 46–77. https://doi.org/10.1353/eam.2006.0002. 

Mellby, Julie L. “New York City 1716 - Graphic Arts.” Princeton University, The Trustees of Princeton University, 13 July 2013,  

Stokes, I. N. Phelps. The Iconography of Manhattan Island, 1498–1909. Vol. 1. New York: Robert H. Dodd, 1915, 239-246. https://archive.org/details/iconographyofman01stok. 

“William Burgis.” Colonial Society of Massachusetts, www.colonialsociety.org/node/769.  

“‘The Burgis View.’” Jacob Leisler Institute, jacobleislerinstitute.org/burgis-view/. Accessed 10 Sept. 2025. (Photos)

Footnotes 

[1]Julie L. Mellby, “New York City 1716,” Graphic Arts Collection.

[2]Charles R. Foy, “Seeking Freedom in the Atlantic World, 1713–1783,” Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal 4.

[3]Charles R. Foy, “Seeking Freedom in the Atlantic World, 1713–1783,” Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal 4.

[4]Julie L. Mellby, “New York City 1716,” Graphic Arts Collection.