Stephen A. Schwarzman Building > Collections & Reading Rooms > Map Division > Lawrence H. Slaughter Collection

Background

Mr. Slaughter had a long association with the Map Division, via his membership in the Mercator Society of The New York Public Library. The Mercator Society is the donor group for the Map Division, and funding from this group enables the Division to purchase and conserve antiquarian maps and atlases.

As the Map Division celebrated its Centennial in 1998, we are deeply honored by this gift from the Slaughter family at this time. As part of our Division Centennial celebration, and to honor Mr. Slaughter's 20 years of collecting, an exhibit of selected titles from the Lawrence H. Slaughter Collection of gift and loan maps was mounted in Fall 1998 in the Edna Barnes Salomon Room, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, The New York Public Library.

Some 600 maps, 100 atlases and 50 books focusing on English Colonial North America make up this unique collection, which will be kept together and named for Mr. Slaughter. Over a twenty year period Mr. Slaughter, with the assistance of a New York map dealer, developed this collection specifically around the history of English mapping of the Middle Atlantic colonies in North America. In addition, there are numerous Dutch and French maps complementing the English maps, and there are maps and charts covering many areas outside the Middle Atlantic colonies.

Included in the Collection are Mark Tiddeman's Draught of New York Harbor, 1749?; the "Ratzen" plan of the City, first edition, first state; the Montresor plan of New York; John Thornton's chart of Long Island, showing New York City, 1689. Among the books is Christopher Colles' Survey of the Roads, 1789; John Speed's A Prospect of the World, 1646 and 1668; John Seller's Atlas Terrestris/Atlas Minimus, 1685; Thornton's The English Pilot, the Fourth Book [America] 1689,1713, and 1732; Mitchell's map of British Dominions, 1755; George Willdey's composite atlas, ca. 1717; William Berry's collection of 41 maps, 1680-1702. Two magnificent 18" library globes, by John Senex, 1720, in wonderfully spirited clawfoot cradles, are included with the Collection.

The Slaughter Collection complements and enhances map and atlas collections in the Map Division and Rare Book Division of The New York Public Library. Established in 1898, the Map Division holds some 420,000 maps and 20,000 books and atlases dating from the 16th century to the present.

While the Slaughter Collection is being processed, [organized, cataloged, digitized, conserved and exhibited ] access will at times be temporarily limited, and appointments will be appreciated! See the Map Division Homepage for contact information.