Recently, I was speaking with Julie Golia, our public historian, who wanted to know if we had early maps that showed different spellings of the name Brooklyn. As I was looking through the collection to identify the most interesting spellings, I was surprised by the variations in nomenclature for our area. But I think I speak for most Brooklynites when I say that whether it’s the Dutch “Breuckelen” or the anglicized “Brookland,” we just call it home.
Detail from: Pas caerte van Nieu Nederlandt en de Engelsche Virginies van Cabo Cod tot Cabo Canrick. Pieter Goos. 1666. Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.
Detail from: Map of the progress of His Majesty's armies in New York during the late campaign. 1776? Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.
Detail from: Plan of New York Island and part of Long Island, showing the position of the American & British armies before, at & after the Engagement on the Heights. 1776? Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.
Detail from: A map of the province of New York. Claude Joseph Sauthier. 1776. Brooklyn Historical Society Map Collection.