Loading map viewer...

A view of Boston from Dorchester neck : Long Island open on the north side of Nicks Mate Island ; Boston from Willis Creek

Individual sheets of coastal views appear throughout The Atlantic Neptune. Landfall and headland views, like those displayed here, were intended to give mariners a sea-view of the harbor and coastline, and were used in conjunction with charts of the corresponding area. Although not in order as one would approach them in real life, these scenes offer the viewer an 18th century glimpse of New York Harbor. These highly artistic depictions were sketched by artists who were part of the surveying crew, and represent a body of work that is not only utilitarian, but also beautiful.