Perhaps what is most visually striking about Osgood Carleton’s recently rediscovered 1795 map of Boston is its sheer size.

At approximately seven feet by six and a half feet, this wall map dwarfs many other Boston maps of the late eighteenth century, including Carleton’s own 1797 work, which until recently was considered the largest Boston map from this period known to be extant in a collection. Though the original map has faded and worn considerably over time, a close inspection of this capacious work reveals considerable subtleties that depict a vision of Boston well suited to the kind of life, animated by practical sciences and skills, that Carleton led…

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