Map of Philadelphia- By Samuel L. Smedley

• Created by: Samuel L. Smedley
• Medium: Lithograph
• Publish Details: Philadelphia: 1861, original hand coloring 
• Measurements: 21 x 15 in. (sheet), 23 x 19 5/8 in. (mat)
• Conditions: Fairly good condition, discoloration along tape line in centerfold, map trimmed to image with most left side margin removed. 

Samuel L. Smedley (1832–1909) was one of Philadelphia's most influential nineteenth-century surveyors and engineers. Born in Edgmont, Delaware County, he studied at Westtown Academy before moving to Philadelphia in 1853 to apprentice under surveyor Joseph Fox, where he developed his skills in drafting and civil engineering.

As Philadelphia expanded following the consolidation of 1854, Smedley played a central role in shaping the growing city. Appointed in 1856 to lay out streets in Blockley Township, he joined the Board of City Surveyors two years later and, in 1862, published the first complete street atlas of Philadelphia. His reputation led to his appointment as Chief Engineer and Surveyor of Philadelphia in 1872, a position he held until his retirement in 1893. Maps and atlases produced by Smedley are highly valued today for their accuracy, historical significance, and detailed documentation of Philadelphia during a period of remarkable growth and transformation.