New Yorkers remember rather fondly the painted lettering lingering on grizzled brick building facades, which recalls businesses once active within. “Lady’s Handbags,” for instance, remained faintly evident high on a 17th Street wall off 6th Avenue, until effaced by a new condo tower last year. Interesting, then, to slip into a time warp and glimpse occupations at center stage in Manhattan a century and a half ago.

The New York Historical Society’s current exhibition “Drawn in New York” includes eight meticulously accurate tableaux by Edward Burckhardt, as observed from the steeple of the North Dutch Church at Fulton and Williams Streets, 1842-1845. Joined end to end in a circle originally, they reveal a stunning panoramic view of the surrounding neighborhoods. Two commercial streets fell close enough for him to record building signage, and bring their workaday businesses alive for us today:


CHEMICALS.

DRUGS AND DYES

WHITE LEAD

INDIA RUBBER

PAINTS, OIL, VARNISH, PUTTY.

SPERM OIL

TAILORING



CARD PRINTING

BOOKBINDING

NEW YORK SUN BULLETIN

BANKNOTE ENGRAVING

TYPE FOUNDRY

LITHOGRAPHY

WOOD ENGRAVING

JOB PRINTING

MERCHANT MAGAZINE

SADDLERY

HARDWARE