Plan of Monte Video, Daniel Wadsworth's Estate on Talcott Moutain
DraftsmanDrawn by
Unknown
DraftsmanPossibly drawn by
Daniel Wadsworth Esq.
(American, 1771 - 1848)
Date1819
MediumDrawing; black ink on wove paper; 2012.312.240a lined with paper, 2012.312.240b lined with linen
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (2012.312.240a image height x width): 24 5/8 x 37 1/2in. (62.5 x 95.3cm)
Sheet (2012.312.240a height x width): 24 5/8 x 37 1/2in. (62.5 x 95.3cm)
Mount (2012.312.240a height x width): 25 x 37 7/8in. (63.5 x 96.2cm)
Primary Dimensions (2012.312.240b image height x width): 24 5/8 x 37 5/8in. (62.5 x 95.6cm)
Sheet (2012.312.240b height x width): 24 5/8 x 37 5/8in. (62.5 x 95.6cm)
Mount (2012.312.240b height x width): 24 5/8 x 37 5/8in. (62.5 x 95.6cm)
ClassificationsGraphics
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
Object number2012.312.240a,b
DescriptionManuscript map, in two pieces, depicting the land around an unnamed lake, with several roads and at least three clusters of buildings, one of which is a "dwelling home." Below the map are three profiles, with letters on them marking structures or high or low points in and around the lake.
Label TextIn 1805, the Hartford, Connecticut philanthropist Daniel Wadsworth began developing an estate on Talcott Mountain, about ten miles from the city. The property, consisting of two hundred and fifty acres, extended north from the Albany Turnpike (now Route 44) along the rocky ridge, and included the small lake now known as Hoe Pond. Inspired by the grounds of stately homes that he had visited in Great Britain, Wadsworth created a romantic landscape setting for his summer home, Monte Video, that included winding drives, grassy lawns, a pavilion, and a tower that provided a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. This unconventional map provides a birds-eye view of Monte Video as it appeared during Wadsworth's lifetime. It shows not only the placement of the house, tower, pavilion, and roads, but it also suggests the nature of the landscape itself when seen from above through the detailed depiction of individual trees and rocks, rather like a modern-day satellite view. This map was almost certainly made for Wadsworth himself, and it is even possible that he had a hand in its creation. Wadsworth was a talented amateur artist and the draftsmanship in the map resembles that in some of his drawings.
NotesCartographic Note: No scaleStatus
Not on view
