This map, produced under the direction of Egbert L. Viele, a Topographical Engineer, depicts the original waterways of Manhattan Island with the street grid overlaid. It also distinguishes between three types of land: marsh, made land, and meadow, and includes information on sewer lines. The map includes three cross sections and an inset map of the northern tip of the island. Despite being copyrighted by Viele in 1865, Haskell and Stokes list the date of the map's creation as 1864. It was originally included in the Report of the Council of Hygiene and is known for its full color design, despite its practical subject matter. In 1874, Viele republished the map in a larger format as the Topographical Atlas of the City of New York.

The 'General Map of the City of New York' measuring 27 ft. x 31 ft., the largest of an American city every executed and completed in 6 months - was unveiled at the Paris Exposition of 1900 by Chief Engineer of NY City's Topographical Bureau Louis Aloys Risse.