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PAXTON, John A. (The Stranger's Guide.) An Alphab

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[Philadelphia: 1811]. 12mo (170 x 105 mm). Engraved folding frontispiece map, hand-colored in outline. Contemporary half red morocco over marbled paper boards. Condition: minor foxing and soiling to the text, separations at folds of the map, hinges reinforced; rebacked. Provenance: Martin P. Snyder. As the Preface to Paxton's guide explains: "Several plans of the city of Philadelphia have been published, but merely as general plans; none of them show the present plot and appearance of the city and environs, neither do they in an explicit manner direct the stranger to find the situation of the public places generally." It continues with the presentation of "a new plan, more complete and useful than any heretofore published, and on a new principle." That "new principle" was the addition of uppercase and lowercase lettered references in the margins of the map and within the guide with which specific locations could be found by locating the intersection of the references. Paxton would later refer to this as his "Alphabetical Plan of Philadelphia." The map accompanying Paxton's guide was drawn by William Strickland "under the direction of J. A. Paxton," engraved by William Harrison, Jr. and printed by his brother C. P. Harrison. In many ways it resembles the Folie Plan of 1794 and is perhaps based on that mapping but with additional detail. Although the copyright statement on verso of the title is dated 1810, a reference to 1811 on p. 17 suggests that date as more accurate and explains the confusion among bibliographers. rare with the map. Sabin 59263; Spear, p. 278.

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