HISTORIX Vintage 1867 Bloomington Illinois Map Poster - 18x24 Inch Vintage Bird's Eye View of Bloomington City Map of Illinois Poster Print Wall Art

Published only two years after the conclusion of the American Civil War, this bird's eye perspective of Bloomington, Illinois, was produced by Prussian immigrant Albert Ruger. His lithography firm was an early pioneer of the form and would go on to inspire numerous other companies to create similar works in an effort to attract residents and merchants to towns and cities across the nation during the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries. Ruger's panoramic maps became widely popular and featured a distinctive style and aesthetic that is immediately recognizable with artistic flourishes and unique color palettes that make them stand out compared to other works from the era. After McLean County was formed, Bloomington was laid out, and an auction was held in 1831 to divide the land in the city. In the following decades, the city would experience considerable growth and, by the time of this publication, was expanding rapidly as immigrants from Western Europe, as well as the American South, were flocking to the region for economic opportunities in the manufacturing and agricultural industries. Bloomington would continue to thrive through the early parts of the twentieth century and is home to Illinois State University, which remains a respected institute for higher education in the region. This depiction captures Bloomington in a period of significant growth and transformation as the nation recovered from the Civil War and entered the industrial revolution, a period marked by considerable prosperity and expansion. This is an authentic piece of American cartographical history with a distinct aesthetic.