First Map of Singapore by Thomson 1846: Boat Quay, High St, N/S Bridge Rd, Govt Qtr, Bras Basah
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Scegli due opere idonee e ricevi il 20% di sconto su entrambe. Scegline tre e quella al prezzo più basso è in omaggio, con un risparmio massimo del 33%.
Abbina liberamente mappe standard idonee e stampe d’arte fine art. Non è richiesto alcun codice; l’offerta viene applicata automaticamente al checkout.
Sono incluse le configurazioni standard su ordinazione. Sono esclusi formati su misura, design personalizzati e lavori su commissione.
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Restaurata dalla mappa originale del 1846 e stampata in qualità museale. Descrizione completa
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Plan of Singapore Town and Adjoining Districts (1846), by John Turnbull Thomson, Government Surveyor, is the first large map of Singapore grounded...
Continua a leggerePlan of Singapore Town and Adjoining Districts (1846), by John Turnbull Thomson, Government Surveyor, is the first large map of Singapore grounded in modern surveys. At a moment when the settlement surged under British administration, Thomson fixes the town’s mercantile heart around the Singapore River and Boat Quay, while delineating the administrative spine along High Street and North and South Bridge Roads. As a city map, it is remarkable for pairing meticulous urban detail—streets, government compounds, ecclesiastical sites—with color-coded land uses that pull the surrounding districts into the narrative. The decorative cartouche announces a work of official precision and aesthetic ambition, making this not only a definitive portrait of mid‑nineteenth‑century Singapore, but a touchstone for understanding how the city’s fabric took form.
Within the compact town, Thomson’s plan isolates civic authority and commerce with unusual clarity. Government buildings anchor the precincts near High Street and St. Andrew’s Road, where the English Church rises, complemented by the Catholic Church on Bras Basah Road and a Mahomedan Mosque and Chinese temple that signal the settlement’s plural character. Victoria Street, Hill Street, and North Bridge Road knit these districts to the bustling quays, while Cantonment Road and Tanjong Pagar Road serve the harbor’s labor and warehousing quarter. Clearly marked Malay and Chinese burying grounds fringe the built-up core, mapping the cultural geography as faithfully as the physical streets. As urban cartography, the sheet excels: it inventories institutions, differentiates residential and governmental spaces, and reveals a working colonial town in the act of organizing itself.
Beyond the civic grid, the map unfolds a living agrarian landscape. Color-coded parcels distinguish sugar plantations from coconut groves, and individual icons flag Nutmeg Trees and Coconut Trees that once underwrote Singapore’s export economy. Orchard Road and River Valley Road thread through estates where spice and fruit cultivation thrived; Bukit Timah Road and Dunearn Road trace inland routes to upland farms, while Upper Serangoon Road and East Coast Road connect coastal kampongs and fields to the town markets. The damp flats around Kallang Road and Rochor Road read as productive margins, their waterways feeding cultivation and transport. Even the offshore margins are alive with detail: coral reefs stipple the southern approaches, and Blakan Mati Island is noted, situating the urban experiment within a precise maritime and ecological frame.
Thomson’s authority is everywhere in evidence. As Government Surveyor and an accomplished architect—later the designer of the Horsburgh Lighthouse—he fused accuracy with vision, deploying early modern survey techniques to measure, classify, and present a rapidly changing colony. His draughtsmanship renders topography with uncommon fineness, while the color-coding system translates land tenure and use into an intelligible urban atlas. Roads like Bukit Timah and Bras Basah appear as planned spines rather than mere tracks, testament to a surveyor who was also shaping the city’s future alignments. The decorative cartouche and carefully keyed symbols demonstrate official purpose, but also a sensitive eye for design, placing the work among the nineteenth century’s most sophisticated exercises in practical, policy‑driven cartography.
The Plan’s enduring power lies in its synthesis. It captures Singapore on the cusp—still edged by plantations and reefs, yet already articulated by streets, quays, and institutions that would define the metropolis. By enumerating government compounds, churches and mosques, Chinese and Malay burying grounds, and the workaday arteries of Boat Quay, South Bridge Road, and River Valley Road, Thomson offers more than a street plan: he records a social compact. As an early scientific city map, it underpinned governance, taxation, and infrastructure, and today it allows us to trace the emergence of neighborhoods from Bras Basah to Tanjong Pagar. For collectors and historians alike, it is an unusually rich, aesthetically compelling key to Singapore’s origins as a city of trade, faith, and careful survey.
Streets and roads on this map
- Anderson Road
- Boat Quay
- Bras Basah Road
- Cantonment Road
- East Coast Road
- Hill Street
- Hock Lee Avenue
- High Street
- Kallang Road
- Marina Boulevard
- North Bridge Road
- Orchard Road
- River Valley Road
- Rochor Road
- South Bridge Road
- St. Andrew’s Road
- Tanjong Pagar Road
- Upper Serangoon Road
- Victoria Street
- Waterloo Street
- Balestier Road
- Bukit Timah Road
- Dunearn Road
- Jln Besar
- Lornie Road
- Mandai Road
- Paya Lebar Road
- Thomson Road
- Yishun Avenue
Notable Features & Landmarks
- Agricultural areas including sugar plantations and coconut groves.
- Bio-geographical features like Nutmeg Trees, Coconut Trees, and Coral Reefs.
- Public buildings including an English Church, Catholic Church, Chinese temple, and a Mahomedan Mosque.
- Notable gravesites including Malay and Chinese burying grounds.
- Government buildings marked within the urban layout.
Historical and design context
- 1846 Plan of Singapore Town and Adjoining Districts by John Turnbull Thomson, Government Surveyor.
- First large map of Singapore based on modern surveys.
- Shows extensive detail of urban development and land use in Singapore and surrounding districts.
- Depicts building types, bio-geographical features, and agricultural areas.
- Marks important public and ecclesiastical buildings (Chinese temple, mosque, churches).
- Uses color-coding for land uses and highly detailed topography; features a decorative cartouche.
- Reflects rapid urbanization and growth following British colonization.
- Represents early modern survey techniques and 19th-century cartographic practices.
- Thomson had a significant role as a surveyor and architect in Singapore, including designing the Horsburgh Lighthouse.
- Mentions regions such as Blakan Mati Island within the Singapore context.
Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.
Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.
This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.
Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.
Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.
This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.
For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.
Plan of Singapore Town and Adjoining Districts (1846), by John Turnbull Thomson, Government Surveyor, is the first large map of Singapore grounded in modern surveys. At a moment when the settlement surged under British administration, Thomson fixes the town’s mercantile heart around the Singapore River and Boat Quay, while delineating the administrative spine along High Street and North and South Bridge Roads. As a city map, it is remarkable for pairing meticulous urban detail—streets, government compounds, ecclesiastical sites—with color-coded land uses that pull the surrounding districts into the narrative. The decorative cartouche announces a work of official precision and aesthetic ambition, making this not only a definitive portrait of mid‑nineteenth‑century Singapore, but a touchstone for understanding how the city’s fabric took form.
Within the compact town, Thomson’s plan isolates civic authority and commerce with unusual clarity. Government buildings anchor the precincts near High Street and St. Andrew’s Road, where the English Church rises, complemented by the Catholic Church on Bras Basah Road and a Mahomedan Mosque and Chinese temple that signal the settlement’s plural character. Victoria Street, Hill Street, and North Bridge Road knit these districts to the bustling quays, while Cantonment Road and Tanjong Pagar Road serve the harbor’s labor and warehousing quarter. Clearly marked Malay and Chinese burying grounds fringe the built-up core, mapping the cultural geography as faithfully as the physical streets. As urban cartography, the sheet excels: it inventories institutions, differentiates residential and governmental spaces, and reveals a working colonial town in the act of organizing itself.
Beyond the civic grid, the map unfolds a living agrarian landscape. Color-coded parcels distinguish sugar plantations from coconut groves, and individual icons flag Nutmeg Trees and Coconut Trees that once underwrote Singapore’s export economy. Orchard Road and River Valley Road thread through estates where spice and fruit cultivation thrived; Bukit Timah Road and Dunearn Road trace inland routes to upland farms, while Upper Serangoon Road and East Coast Road connect coastal kampongs and fields to the town markets. The damp flats around Kallang Road and Rochor Road read as productive margins, their waterways feeding cultivation and transport. Even the offshore margins are alive with detail: coral reefs stipple the southern approaches, and Blakan Mati Island is noted, situating the urban experiment within a precise maritime and ecological frame.
Thomson’s authority is everywhere in evidence. As Government Surveyor and an accomplished architect—later the designer of the Horsburgh Lighthouse—he fused accuracy with vision, deploying early modern survey techniques to measure, classify, and present a rapidly changing colony. His draughtsmanship renders topography with uncommon fineness, while the color-coding system translates land tenure and use into an intelligible urban atlas. Roads like Bukit Timah and Bras Basah appear as planned spines rather than mere tracks, testament to a surveyor who was also shaping the city’s future alignments. The decorative cartouche and carefully keyed symbols demonstrate official purpose, but also a sensitive eye for design, placing the work among the nineteenth century’s most sophisticated exercises in practical, policy‑driven cartography.
The Plan’s enduring power lies in its synthesis. It captures Singapore on the cusp—still edged by plantations and reefs, yet already articulated by streets, quays, and institutions that would define the metropolis. By enumerating government compounds, churches and mosques, Chinese and Malay burying grounds, and the workaday arteries of Boat Quay, South Bridge Road, and River Valley Road, Thomson offers more than a street plan: he records a social compact. As an early scientific city map, it underpinned governance, taxation, and infrastructure, and today it allows us to trace the emergence of neighborhoods from Bras Basah to Tanjong Pagar. For collectors and historians alike, it is an unusually rich, aesthetically compelling key to Singapore’s origins as a city of trade, faith, and careful survey.
Streets and roads on this map
- Anderson Road
- Boat Quay
- Bras Basah Road
- Cantonment Road
- East Coast Road
- Hill Street
- Hock Lee Avenue
- High Street
- Kallang Road
- Marina Boulevard
- North Bridge Road
- Orchard Road
- River Valley Road
- Rochor Road
- South Bridge Road
- St. Andrew’s Road
- Tanjong Pagar Road
- Upper Serangoon Road
- Victoria Street
- Waterloo Street
- Balestier Road
- Bukit Timah Road
- Dunearn Road
- Jln Besar
- Lornie Road
- Mandai Road
- Paya Lebar Road
- Thomson Road
- Yishun Avenue
Notable Features & Landmarks
- Agricultural areas including sugar plantations and coconut groves.
- Bio-geographical features like Nutmeg Trees, Coconut Trees, and Coral Reefs.
- Public buildings including an English Church, Catholic Church, Chinese temple, and a Mahomedan Mosque.
- Notable gravesites including Malay and Chinese burying grounds.
- Government buildings marked within the urban layout.
Historical and design context
- 1846 Plan of Singapore Town and Adjoining Districts by John Turnbull Thomson, Government Surveyor.
- First large map of Singapore based on modern surveys.
- Shows extensive detail of urban development and land use in Singapore and surrounding districts.
- Depicts building types, bio-geographical features, and agricultural areas.
- Marks important public and ecclesiastical buildings (Chinese temple, mosque, churches).
- Uses color-coding for land uses and highly detailed topography; features a decorative cartouche.
- Reflects rapid urbanization and growth following British colonization.
- Represents early modern survey techniques and 19th-century cartographic practices.
- Thomson had a significant role as a surveyor and architect in Singapore, including designing the Horsburgh Lighthouse.
- Mentions regions such as Blakan Mati Island within the Singapore context.
Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.
Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.
This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.
The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.
Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.
Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.
This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.
For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.
Molte delle nostre mappe e stampe d’arte vengono scelte come regali premurosi per case, uffici, studi e luoghi significativi.
Scegli un’opzione incorniciata per il regalo più semplice, pronto da appendere, oppure scegli una stampa non incorniciata se il destinatario preferisce selezionare la propria cornice.
Realizziamo gli ordini localmente in 23 paesi in tutto il mondo, così i regali possono spesso essere prodotti vicino al destinatario. Questo li aiuta ad arrivare più rapidamente, a viaggiare in maggiore sicurezza e a evitare sorprese legate a dazi doganali o di importazione.
- Possiamo consegnare direttamente al destinatario
- I pezzi incorniciati arrivano pronti da appendere
- Le stampe non incorniciate sono accuratamente imballate in un robusto tubo protettivo
- Quasi ogni ordine viene realizzato localmente, per regali più rapidi e sicuri
- Il reso entro 90 giorni dà al destinatario il tempo di decidere
Se non sei sicuro di cosa scegliere, ti invitiamo a contattarci. Possiamo aiutarti a scegliere la mappa, il formato, la finitura o l’opzione di consegna più adatti.
Most orders are made locally and delivered in around 2–3 working days, depending on the product, size and destination.
We print and frame maps and artwork in 24 countries around the world, so your order is usually made close to you or your recipient. That means faster delivery, less time in transit, and no customs or import duty surprises.
Personalised and customised pieces usually take an extra 1–2 working days, because we prepare your design and send it to you for approval before printing.
Very large framed orders can take a little longer, as they need extra care in production and delivery.
Every order is carefully packaged: unframed prints are sent in a strong protective tube, while framed pieces are securely packed with protective materials around the frame.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering. We’ll check the best production route and delivery option for your location.
Express delivery is available at checkout for most countries. Next-day delivery is available in the UK, US, Singapore and the UAE.
Your order is covered by our 90-day returns policy and 10-year guarantee.
Our standard frame is a gallery-style black ash hardwood frame, with a simple, modern look. It is approximately 20mm (0.8in) wide. You can also view some lovely customer photos of framed maps and art.
We use super-clear acrylic glazing, also known as Perspex or Acrylite, instead of traditional glass. It is lighter, safer, and has lower reflectivity, giving the artwork a clearer, cleaner appearance.
Six standard frame colours are available at no extra cost: black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white, and antique gold. Custom framing and mounting/matting is also available for customers looking for something more specific.
Most maps, art prints, and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced wooden box frame, and then float the piece within a wooden outer frame. The finished result is beautifully presented, with no glazing between you and the artwork.
All frames are supplied ready to hang, with either string or brackets fitted to the back. Very large frames will include heavy-duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.
We can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag, and other materials.
If you would prefer to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read our size guide before ordering.
Lavoriamo con interior designer, strutture ricettive, professionisti del settore immobiliare, uffici e acquirenti aziendali su singoli pezzi e su progetti coordinati di più ampia portata.
Questa mappa può essere adattata a una particolare parete, stanza o progetto, e il nostro laboratorio può aiutare a coordinare dimensioni, materiale e incorniciatura prima della produzione.
- Dimensioni precise, extra-large e su misura
- Incorniciatura, montaggio e materiali alternativi personalizzati
- Pezzi coordinati per più stanze o sedi
- Personalizzazione della mappa, per evidenziare luoghi importanti o aggiungere dettagli supplementari
- Consulenza su mappa e incorniciatura dal nostro laboratorio
- Produzione locale per progetti in tutto il mondo
Every Unique Maps piece begins with an authentic cartographic source or an original design from our London studio.
For our historic maps, we source rare originals from libraries, archives, auction houses and private collections around the world. We carefully restore each map for print—repairing age-related damage, balancing colour and improving clarity while preserving its original detail, texture and character.
Once restored, the map is prepared for your chosen size and finish. Your piece is then printed and, where selected, framed close to its delivery destination.
Our map prints use acid-free 200gsm archival matte paper and fade-resistant pigment inks, creating a rich, non-glossy finish designed to last. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.
Canvas, cotton-rag and other specialist presentations are also available. Learn more about our materials and finishes.
Personalising your map
You can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. For personalised designs, we send a proof before printing and you can request changes before approval.
For more complex bespoke commissions, contact our design team.
Original or Aged
Choose Original for true-to-source colour, or Aged for a warmer, richer antique character created with our specialist ageing process. See examples of our Aged maps.
Restauriamo e produciamo mappe e stampe d’arte dal 1984, e garantiamo personalmente ogni pezzo.
Ogni ordine è coperto dalla nostra garanzia di 10 anni e dalla garanzia di consegna senza danni. Se il vostro pezzo arriva danneggiato, lo sostituiremo o lo rifaremo gratuitamente. Se qualsiasi altro aspetto non fosse conforme, contattate il nostro team di laboratorio e provvederemo tempestivamente a risolvere il problema.
Per tutti i dettagli, consultate la nostra politica su resi e rimborsi.
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