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Rare Books, Americana, Literature & Pictorial Americana
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New Haven, Connecticut 06511
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Bulletin 21:
American Cartography
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descriptions of the items and additional
images where applicable.
A Landmark American Map, Printed by Benjamin Franklin
1. Evans, Lewis: GEOGR APHIC AL , HISTORIC AL , POLITIC AL , PHILOSOPHIC AL AND MECHANIC AL ESSAYS. THE FIRST,
CONTAINING AN ANALYSIS OF A GENER AL MAP OF THE MIDDLE BRITISH COLONIES IN AMERIC A . . . . Philadelphia:
B. Franklin and D. Hall, 1755. Folding handcolored engraved map, 20¾ x 27¼ inches. Map backed on linen. Text: iv, 32pp. Quarto.
Full tan polished tree calf by Riviere, red morocco label, a.e.g. Scattered light foxing. Very good.
One of the most important maps of the British colonies done prior to
Independence, a landmark in American cartography and an important Franklin printing. “The map is considered by historians to be the
most ambitious performance of its kind undertaken in America up to
that time, and its publication was a milestone in the development of
printing arts in the colonial period”—Schwartz & Ehrenberg.
Evans’ map, which drew from his original surveys and Fry and Jefferson’s 1753 map of Virginia, acknowledges French claims to all lands
northwest of St. Lawrence Fort, resulting in criticism from New York.
Despite the controversy, Evans’s work was very popular (there were
eighteen editions between 1755 and 1814), and was famously used by
General Braddock during the French and Indian War.
The accompanying text gives a detailed geographical description
of the middle and southern colonies, particularly notable for an early
description of the Ohio country, and gives a good description of
the Carolina back country. The map was the authority for settling
boundary disputes in the region. This is a rare example of the first
issue of the map with lovely full period hand-coloring. Many copies of Evans’ tract do not include the map, and only some copies are
fully colored, as is this copy. $280,000.
Early South Carolina Map
2. Mortier, Pierre: C ARTE PARTICULIERE DE L A C AROLINE DRESSÉE SU LES MEMORIES LE PLUS NOUVEAUX
PAR LE SIEUR S***. Amsterdam: P. Mortier. [1700]. Engraved map, with original outline color, 19¼ x 24¼ inches. Very good.
This is the first map of South Carolina to be printed outside of
England, and was included as part of Pierre Mortier’s Suite de Neptune François, published in Amsterdam in 1700. It is often incorrectly attributed to Nicolas Sanson. The map, here in the first state,
embraces most of South Carolina from the Santee River in the
north, to the South Edisto River in the south. It is directly derived
from the extremely rare A New Map [of] South Carolina of 1695
by John Thornton and Robert Morden. All topographical details
are identical to those of its antecedent; however, most of the place
names have been Gallicized. Importantly, however, Mortier labeled
over 250 plantations with their proprietor’s names, far more than
any previous map. The street grid of Charleston is outlined, and the
network of roads connecting the various settlements is delineated.
$9500.
Famed Dutch Map of the Northeast
3. Doncker, Hendrick, and Gerard Van Keulen: A CHART OF THE SEA COASTS OF NEW NEDER L AND, VIRGINIA ,
NEW-ENGL AND, AND PENN-SILVANIA , WITH THE CIT T Y OF PHIL ADELPHIA , FROM BASTON TO C ABO K ARRIK.
Amsterdam. [ca. 1706]. Engraved map, 21¼ x 24¾ inches. With wide margins, overall a strong impression.
A beautifully printed example of the Doncker-van Keulen chart of the
American coast from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Boston.
This is a classic Dutch sea chart of the northeast American coast, with
insets of Holme’s plan of Philadelphia and Boston Harbor.
First issued by the well-known Dutch publisher of maritime
works, Hendrick Doncker (1626–99) in 1688, this striking chart of
the northeast coast of North America was one of many Doncker
plates acquired by Johannes van Keulen (1654–1715), who also took
over Doncker’s store and made it into a workshop. He reissued this
chart with various changes (most notably reworking the cartouche
of the original into the inset of Boston Harbor). The chart in its new
form appeared around 1706. The inset of Philadelphia is derived
from the Dutch edition of Thomas Holme’s famous 1683 plan. $18,500.
The Famous “Beaver Map”
4. Moll, Herman: A NEW AND EX ACT MAP OF THE DOMINIONS OF THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN ON YE CONTINENT
OF NORTH AMERIC A . . . . London. [1731]. Engraved map, with period outline color, on two joined sheets. Overall size of joined sheets:
41¼ x 24¾ inches. Expertly repaired tears to folds. Very good.
An attractive copy of state four
(of five) of the famous Beaver
map of the English and French
colonies in North America.
This map was one of the
first and most important cartographic documents relating to
the ongoing dispute between
France and Great Britain over
boundaries separating their
respective American colonies.
The British colonies according
to British claims are outlined
in red, with the French very
lightly outlined in blue. All
territory south of the St. Lawrence River and eastern Great
Lakes is shown as British.
Numerous notations relating
to territorial claims, Indian
tribes, the fur trade, and the
condition of the land cover
the face of the map. This map
shows the early 18th-century
postal routes in the British
colonies, and is frequently
called the first American
postal map.
There are four insets,
including a large map of
coastal South Carolina, a plan
of Charleston, and a map of
Florida and the Deep South.
The most striking feature is
the large vignette which gives
the map its popular name. It
consists of an early view of
Niagara Falls, with a colony
of beavers at work in the
foreground. $35,000.
A Primary British Map of Colonial New England
5. [Mead, Braddock, alias John Green]: A MAP OF THE MOST INHABITED PART OF NEW ENGL AND CONTAINING THE
PROVINCES OF MASSACHUSETS BAY AND NEW HAMPSHIRE, WITH THE COLONIES OF CONECTICUT AND RHODE
ISL AND, DIVIDED INTO COUNTIES AND TOWNSHIPS. . . . [London]: Thomas Jefferys, Nov. 29, 1774. Engraved map, with
contemporary outline hand-color, folding, as issued, in 24 sections backed onto linen. Overall size: 39½ x 41½ inches. In fine condition,
with some spotting and toning.
The largest and most detailed map of New England that had yet
been published, and one of the great maps of the east coast of
America.
This is the grandest, most accurate and detailed map of New
England produced during the British colonial period. It depicts the
entire region from Long Island Sound up north to the line of 44° 30´
of latitude. Importantly, this map contains two highly-detailed cartographic insets, one of the city of Boston (upper left), and another
of Boston Harbor on the lower right sheet. The present map is the
third edition and fifth overall state of this work, after the first of
1755, with little alteration from the previous issue beyond the altered
imprint. $15,000.
“The most ambitious cartographical work to come from America before the Revolution . . .”—Wroth
6. Scull, Nicholas: TO THE HONOUR ABLE THOMA S PENN AND RICHARD PENN ESQRS . . . THIS MAP OF THE
IMPROVED PART OF THE PROVINCE OF PENNSYLVANIA . IS HUMBLY DEDIC ATED BY NICHOL AS SCULL. Philadelphia.
1759. Engraved map on six sheets, joined as three. Each of the three sheets approximately 31 x 21½ inches. Excellent condition, with three
short repaired tears, very minor age toning at the sheet edges. Overall in remarkable unsophisticated condition.
The first map of Pennsylvania
to be published in America.
Scull (1687–1761) was born in
Philadelphia and is thought
to have been apprenticed at a
young age to William Penn’s
surveyor, Thomas Holme. In
1719 he became deputy surveyor of Philadelphia County,
eventually ascending to the
surveyor generalship of Pennsylvania in 1748. Dedicated
to the colony’s proprietors,
this is among the largest
and finest maps produced in
America to that date. The map
depicts Philadelphia, Bucks,
Northampton, Berks, Chester,
Lancaster, Cumberland, and
York Counties, and is based on
Scull’s own surveys as well as
the reports of others. In addition, some information was
gleaned from printed sources,
including the important FryJefferson map. The importance
and accuracy of this large-scale
map is underscored by the fact
that a copy of it was among
the maps hung by the Board of
War at Philadelphia in August
1776, twenty years after the
map’s publication. The map
was engraved by James Turner
(d. 1759), a Philadelphia silversmith and protégé of Benjamin
Franklin.
Scull’s 1759 map of Pennsylvania is very rare, with less
than a dozen known institutional copies. Only a few have
appeared at auction in the last
half century, most notably in
the sales of the collections of
Thomas W. Streeter, Howard
E. Welsh, and Laird U. Park
(this copy). $185,000.
One of three sheets, western sheet shown.
A Very Early Manuscript Map of Western Pennsylvania
7. Hooper, Robert Lettis, Jr.: [MANUSCRIPT MAP OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA]. [Np, but likely northwest Pennsylvania.
ca. 1770]. Manuscript map on two joined pieces of paper, measuring 15 x 15½ inches total. Old folds. Three very small separations at the folds
with no real loss, some wrinkling, else near fine.
An intriguing, detailed, and very rare manuscript map of northwestern Pennsylvania, created by noted surveyor and soldier Robert
Lettis Hooper, Jr. The map encompasses the present-day Pennsylvania counties of Erie, Crawford, Venango, Armstrong, Jefferson,
and Clarion, a district that would later become famous due to its oil
and gas deposits. In fact, “Oil Spring” and “Oil C[reek]” are shown
in the northeast corner of the map. The scale of the map is fifteen
miles to an inch, and covers the area from Presque Isle on Lake Erie
(site of the present-day city of Erie) in the northwest to the region
just to the north and east of Pittsburgh (which is not shown) in the
southwest. The dominant feature of the map is the “Allegany River,”
shown snaking its way north and east to its headwaters. Two roads
are indicated on the map in dotted lines, one showing the “road from
Fort Pitt to Wenango,” and the other, in the far northeast, marking
the “Indian Path to Cayuga.”
A great colonial manuscript map of northwestern Pennsylvania. $25,000.
Important Map of the South Carolina Coast
8. Gascoigne, John, and William Faden: A PL AN OF PORT ROYAL IN SOUTH C AROLINA . SURVEY’D BY C APN. JOHN
GA SCOIGNE. London: Jefferys & Faden, [1776]. Engraved sea chart. Sheet size: 32½ x 25¾ inches. In excellent condition, on a full,
untrimmed sheet.
A very rare and highly detailed sea chart, the most important map
of South Carolina’s Port Royal Sound and Hilton Head made in
the early days of the Revolutionary War, in the first state. This
very finely engraved and immensely detailed chart was superior
to all other maps printed of the region, and was one of the most
detailed and accurate of any such map of the American coastline.
The immense detail of the hydrography was the result of surveys
conducted by Captain John Gascoigne, assisted by his brother
James.
This chart would most certainly have been used by commanders
in formulating their battle plans during the Revolutionary War.
This is significant, as Port Royal Sound was one of the South’s finest
harbors, and both sides in the conflict believed that possession of the
area was of great strategic importance. $12,000.
New Jersey at the Outset of the Revolution
9. Faden, William, and Bernard Ratzer: THE PROVINCE OF NEW JERSEY, DIVIDED INTO EAST AND WEST,
COMMONLY C ALLED THE JERSEYS. London: Wm. Faden, Dec. 1, 1777. Engraved map. Sheet size: 32 x 24 inches. In good condition.
The first state of one of the finest and most celebrated maps of New
Jersey, produced during the Revolutionary War.
This elegant composition depicts New Jersey in finely engraved
detail at a large scale of seven miles to an inch. The map was the
grandest representation of the state made up to that time, taking in
the entire breadth of the state, as well as the Hudson Valley, most
of Long Island, eastern Pennsylvania, and all of Delaware Bay. The
county divisions, major roads and towns are all carefully depicted,
indicating that New Jersey was, by the standards of the time, heavily
populated, having over 120,000 inhabitants.
This copy of this important map, features a strong impression and
good margins. $30,000.
American Military Pocket Atlas
10. Sayer, Robert, and John Bennet [publishers]: THE AMERIC AN MILITARY POCKET ATL AS; BEING AN APPROVED
COLLECTION OF CORRECT MAPS, BOTH GENER AL AND PARTICUL AR, OF THE BRITISH COLONIES; ESPECIALLY
THOSE WHICH NOW ARE, OR PROBABLY MAY BE THE THEATRE OF WAR. . . . London: Printed for R. Sayer and J. Bennet,
[1776]. 7pp., plus six engraved maps, handcolored in outline. Original half calf and marbled boards, leather label. Boards with an expected
amount of rubbing and wear. A few instances of neat, closed separations along the crossfolds of the maps, but with no loss. Repaired closed
tear in left edge of Brassier map. Some soiling at the edges of the maps.
A very handsome copy, in completely original condition—as it
would have been when carried by a British officer during the American War.
The “Holster Atlas” was one of the most important atlases of the
American Revolution, designed for use in the field. It was published
by Sayer and Bennet at the suggestion of Governor George Pownall,
and was meant to be used by British officers. Although the publishers claimed the atlas would fit into an officer’s pocket, it was more
usually carried in a holster and thus gained its nickname. The atlas
was generally bound in an octavo format, as is the case in this copy.
The atlas included the “maps that the British high command
regarded as providing essential topographical information in the most
convenient form” (Schwartz & Ehrenberg). The six maps include
Samuel Dunn’s general map of North America; Dunn’s map of the
West Indies; a map of the Northeast and eastern Canada; a version of
the Lewis Evans map of the middle colonies; the Romans map of the
Southern colonies; and Brassier’s map of Lake Champlain.
An important collection of Revolutionary-era American maps,
meant to be used by British officers in the theatre of war, and here in
handsome original condition.
$32,500.
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Revolutionary War Map of New York City
11. Sauthier, Claude Joseph: A TOPOGR APHIC AL MAP OF THE NORTHERN PART OF NEW YORK ISL AND, EXHIBITING THE
PL AN OF FORT WASHINGTON, NOW FORT KNYPHAUSEN, WITH THE REBELS LINES TO THE SOUTHWARD, WHICH
WERE FORCED BY THE TROOPS UNDER THE COMMAND OF THE RT. HONBLE. EARL PERC Y, ON THE 16th NOVR
1776. . . . London: Published by Wm. Faden, March 1, 1777. Engraved map, with period outline color. Sheet size: 22½ x 15⅛ inches. Some
light old surface soiling, else very good.
This is one of a small handful of Revolutionary War
battle plans that relate to the
City of New York. Sauthier’s
delineation of upper Manhattan was the most accurate
and detailed to date.
After the British occupation of New York, George
Washington evacuated Manhattan except for Fort Washington at the northern tip of
the island. The British under
Gen. Howe moved north and
attacked the main American
army at White Plains in
October 1776, but the Americans still remained in control
of Fort Washington behind
their forward lines.
On November 16 the British mounted a six-column
attack on the fort that forced
the Americans to surrender.
Washington’s decision not to
evacuate Fort Washington
was one of his most serious
tactical errors of the war.
Almost three thousand men
were taken prisoner, and the
British seized large quantities of supplies and weapons.
Four days later Gen. Cornwallis was sent to take Fort
Lee on the opposite New Jersey shore, but the Americans
stationed there had retreated.
Sauthier illustrated the
four phases of the attack
with the letters A through
D. The key at right identifies the first attack as that
by Gen. Knyphausen, the
second by Matthews and
Cornwallis, the third as a
feint, and the fourth by Lord
Percy. $9500.
The Earliest General Map of the Trans-Appalachian Country, Accompanied by the Text of Hutchins’ Work
12. Hutchins, Thomas: A NEW MAP OF THE WESTERN PARTS OF VIRGINIA , PENNSYLVANIA , MARYL AND AND NORTH
C AROLINA . . . . London. 1778. Folding map, 36¼ x 44 inches, on four joined sheets, with bright period outline wash color. A little browning at joints. Overall a fine copy. Accompanied by the text of Hutchins’ work (see description below).
A remarkable work of American cartography, being both the first
true general map of the American Midwest and the first meaningful large-scale depiction of the trans-Appalachian Country. This
great map extends from western New York in the northeast, Cape
Fear in the southeast, the Wisconsin River in the northwest, to the
Arkansas River in the southwest. Hutchins compiled this map from
his exhaustive personal surveys, and information gathered from
many sources. This 1778 map was the foundation document for the
mapping of the Ohio Valley in the late 18th century. It is filled with
exhaustive data throughout, with a fascinating series of notes or
“legends” interspersed among the geographical details.
This copy of the map is accompanied by Hutchins’ Topographical
Description. . . . London. 1778. [2], ii, 67pp. plus two folding maps and
folding table. Bound in half calf and marbled paper boards. Ex-lib.
with perforated stamp on titlepage and a few other minor library
marks. The text is here in the first edition, second state, with errors
corrected on the titlepage and in the text, and no errata leaf. As the
most accomplished geographer in America, Hutchins’ exact description of the regions west of the Alleghenies was the best available at
the time of the Revolution.
$150,000.
Sailing Chart for Delaware Bay
13. Des Barres, Joseph F. Wallet: A CHART OF DEL AWAR[E] BAY WITH SOUNDINGS AND NAUTIC AL OBSERVATIONS . . .
COMPOSED AND PUBLISHED FOR THE USE OF PILOTAGE. . . . London: Published by J. F. W. Des Barres, June 1st, 1779.
Engraved map, plate size: 30¼ x 22⅛ inches. Twelve-inch repaired tear from bottom edge, parallel to centerfold. Thin, uneven margins.
Four-inch repaired split from bottom in centerfold, else very good.
An outstanding sea chart of the
Delaware coast from The Atlantic Neptune, which is universally
recognized as one of the most
magnificent atlases ever made.
Published for the use of the British Navy, this chart shows the
major part of the Delaware coast,
from Rehobeth to Bombay Hook,
as well as the opposing south New
Jersey shore.
Des Barres, of Swiss-Huguenot
extraction, studied under the great
mathematician, Daniel Bernoulli,
at the University of Basel, before
immigrating to Britain where he
trained at the Royal Military College, Woolwich. From 1762, Des
Barres was enlisted to survey the
coastline of eastern Canada, while
his colleague, Samuel Holland,
charted the New England coast.
He also managed to gain access
to some surveys of the American
South, Cuba, and Jamaica. In 1774,
Des Barres returned to England
where he began work on The
Atlantic Neptune. His dedication
to the project was so strong that
he continually updated and added
new charts and views up until
1784, often at his own expense.
The Atlantic Neptune, the most
celebrated sea atlas, contained
the first systematic survey of the
east coast of North America.
This chart of the Delaware Bay
is notable for its detail and accuracy, as well as the elegance of its
design. $10,000.
Preparations to Rebuild Spain’s Greatest Defensive Position on the Pacific
14. [Mexico]: PROJECTO DE UN C ASTILLO PAR A DEFENSA DE L A ENTR ADA DEL PUERTO DE AC APULCO [manuscript
caption title]. [Acapulco. 1778]. Original hand-drawn plan, 34 x 26 inches, backed on linen. Occasional small tears along folds, some minor
expert repairs. Colors remain bright and clean. Old institutional label on verso. Very good.
A detailed plan showing the proposed reconstruction of the Fort of
San Diego at Acapulco. The fort was originally built in 1615 by the
Dutch engineer, Adrian Boot, to protect the bustling commercial
port from pirates drawn, no doubt, by the annual visit of the famed
Galleon of Manila. After an earthquake destroyed the original fort
in 1776, Spanish officials set out to build a grander and more efficient structure. This effort coincided with a general revitalization of
the defenses of New Spain which marked the 1770s. The result was
an impressive advance in military engineering. The fort features an
uncommon “pentastar” structure and was capable of quartering up
to 2000 men. Among the areas indicated are troops’ quarters, the
armory, and water tanks. The water holding system was particularly
ingenious, based on a revolutionary plan for preserving rainwater.
Such plans were often executed in multiple copies by colonial officials (this copy marked “Copia No. 5” at upper right) for use in both
Spain and Mexico.
While similar plans survive in the Spanish Department of the
Marine and like institutions, they are extremely rare in the market.
A tremendous illustration of Spain’s most important Pacific coast
defensive bulwark. $9500.
With an Extraordinary Map of the Isthmus of Darien, and a Plan for a Canal at the time of the Nootka Controversy
15. La Bastide, Martin de: MEMOIRE SUR UN NOUVEAU PASSAGE DE L A MER DU NORD A L A MER DU SUD. Paris. 1791.
[4], 70pp. plus large colored folding map, 20 x 22 inches. [4]pp. pamphlet bound in at the rear. Modern half morocco and marbled boards,
spine richly gilt. Small hole in titlepage, repaired with tissue, a couple instances of very minor light foxing. Manuscript correction to two
lines on one page. Near fine, untrimmed.
A rare and exceptionally early plan for building a canal across the
Isthmus of Darien, thereby connecting the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, and containing a fabulous map of the region. From the earliest attempts to find a northwest passage, the desire to find a sea
route across the Americas, thereby linking Europe with Asia, had
been a long-standing goal. This text is one of the earliest proposals for a water route across Nicaragua, a route that was considered
a viable option until the construction of the Panama Canal in the
early 20th century. Bastide explains in great detail the feasibility
and course of the route, and the great advantages that it would give
to France. Significantly, it would help the French keep an eye on
British and Spanish activities in the Pacific Northwest, as those two
nations had just settled many of the controversial issues regarding
Nootka Sound.
The beautiful large folding map in this copy has striking contemporary color, and shows Nicaragua between the ninth and thirteenth parallels, giving a clear depiction of the proposed route across
the river San Juan, into Lake Nicaragua, and then across another
small body of land and into the “Golfe de Papagayo.” The map, often
lacking from copies of this work, is a fine cartographic representation of the region, showing the river systems and mountain ranges,
as well as significant cities and volcanoes. $15,000.
Extremely Rare Map of the American Victory at Yorktown
16. Bauman, Sebastian: TO HIS EXCELLENC Y GENL. WASHINGTON COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMIES OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERIC A . THIS PL AN OF THE INVESTMENT OF YORK AND GLOUCESTER . . . IS MOST HUMBLY
DEDIC ATED BY HIS EXCELLENC Y’S OBEDIENT AND VERY HUMBLE SERVANT, SEBASTN. BAUMAN. . . . Philadelphia.
1782. Engraved map, with original hand-coloring. Sheet size: 27 x 18⅞ inches. Some minor creases on verso from previous folding,
restoration to margins beyond plate mark, else very good.
The only detailed
battle plan of Yorktown published in
America, and an
iconic representation
of the battle that
secured American
independence.
Within three
days of the British
surrender on October 19, 1781, Major
Sebastian Bauman,
an American artillery officer, took the
field and carefully
surveyed the terrain
and battle positions
at Yorktown. A
native of Germany,
Bauman immigrated
to America after
service in the Austrian army. During
the Revolution he
served in the campaigns in New York,
New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania, and
was in command
of the artillery at
West Point, before
joining Washington at the siege of
Yorktown. Bauman
spent six days surveying the battlefield
at Yorktown. His
manuscript draft
was quickly sent to
Philadelphia, where
it was engraved by
Robert Scot to be
sold by subscription.
As a participant
for the winning side,
Bauman was able
to spend more time
surveying the field
than the British engineers who were bottled up in Yorktown. Thus
he was able to include an extensive area to the south of the town that
does not appear on the best British plans, such as those published
by Faden and Des Barres. The location of the French and American
positions is necessarily more detailed and informed. As it appeared
in print before the British plans, it was the first survey of the Siege
of Yorktown made available to the American public.
Bauman’s plan is a legendary rarity which almost never appears
on the market. Its scarcity is due to the fact that it was separately
published by subscription only. Relatively few sheets were printed,
and very few of those survived. Wheat & Brun locate eight institutional copies. To these we can add four copies known to us in private
American collections.
$250,000.
One of the Most Important Early Maps of the United States
17. Faden, William: THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERIC A WITH THE BRITISH & SPANISH TERRITORIES ACCORDING TO THE TREAT Y OF 1784. [London]. 1785. Engraved map, with full original color. Sheet size: 20¾ x 26½ inches. Trimmed to plate
mark bottom margin, neatlines intact, mounted on silk mending a split at center fold, large lateral margins. Very good.
Faden’s maps of the United States represent one of the most important cartographic depictions of the newly independent republic.
The present map is the fourth issue of the fourteen total iterations
(including the parent plan and thirteen subsequent issues), and is
one of the extremely rare first five appellations of this series which
almost never appear on the market. The Faden maps comprise a
critical and fascinating series of historical documents regarding the
political development of the United States, especially since each
issue captures a distinct stage in America’s process of transformative change. The present map depicts the United States with its
new boundaries as determined by the Treaty of Paris at the end of
the Revolutionary War. The map is beautifully colored to identify
American, British, and Spanish territories, and the coasts of
Newfoundland.
The Treaty of Paris established the new United States from the
Atlantic to the Mississippi. Unfortunately, the source of the Mississippi had not been determined, though the map provides two
possible “Mississippi River by Conjecture” sites. Consequently, no
definitive northwestern border could be determined., and this map
shows open western borders for every state from Georgia to Pennsylvania, except South Carolina. The composition is completed by
an extremely fine title cartouche, which depicts a scene in which
slaves prepare barrels, bundles, and bales for export.
$18,500.
A Cartographic Rarity
18. Carey, Mathew: THE GENER AL ATL A S FOR C AREY’S EDITION OF GUTHRIE’S GEOGR APHY IMPROVED. Philadelphia:
Mathew Carey, May 1, 1795. Letterpress title mounted on a larger sheet uniform in size to the maps. 44 engraved maps, each handcolored
(some folding). Extra-illustrated with an additional map of the United States. Folio. Bound to style in half 18th-century calf over contemporary marbled paper covered boards. A few tears expertly repaired, some discoloration. [with:] Guthrie, William: A NEW SYSTEM OF
MODERN GEOGR APHY. Philadelphia: Mathew Carey, 1794 [vol. 1]; 1795 [vol. 2]. Quarto. Tanning and foxing as usual.
An American cartographic rarity: Carey’s 1795 “Guthrie Atlas”—the
first edition of the first general atlas published in the United States.
This a unique copy with the maps handcolored at a contemporary
date, and extra-illustrated with a map of the United States. The
maps are usually folded; here they are edge bound to create a larger
format atlas, complete with its rare accompanying text. Eighteen of
the maps are of the United States.
“Following the Revolution, there was considerable activity in
the United States by American mapmakers and publishers. One
of them, Mathew Carey, was a pioneer in producing cartographic
works . . . In 1795 Carey published The General Atlas for Carey’s Edition of Guthrie’s Geography Improved. William Guthrie’s popular
textbook was originally issued in London in 1770”–Ristow.
Colored copies of pre-1814 Carey atlases are extraordinarily rare. $37,500.
A Most Important American Atlas and the First Color Plate Published in America
19. Reid, John, and W. Winterbotham: THE AMERIC AN ATL AS. . . . [with:] An Historical , Geographical ,
Commercial , and Philosophical View of the United States of America . . . . New York. 1796. Reid atlas:
Title-leaf plus twenty folding maps (without the added folding plan of Washington, not found in most copies). Folio. Titlepage and maps
expertly washed and rehinged, signs of foxing remaining on a few maps. Gutter margin on Maine map expertly refurbished. Overall a very
good copy. Winterbotham text: Four volumes. Twenty-two (of twenty-six) plates (one in color), lacking portraits of Washington, Penn and
Franklin. Also lacks the plan of Washington called for in the third volume.
The Reid atlas is one of the rarest and most interesting of American atlases, preceded only by the 1795 Carey atlas as the earliest
United States atlas. It includes detailed engraved maps of North
and South America, and the United States, with individual maps of
New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and
Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, Tennessee, and the West Indies.
The Winterbotham text properly accompanies the Reid atlas,
although the two are usually found separately. Most of the handsome plates illustrate birds, quadrupeds and reptiles found in the
West Indies, but the color plate represents the tobacco plant. These
are some of the earliest natural history plates produced in Philadelphia. The plate of the tobacco plant is the first color plate regularly published in an American book, here present in a very good
impression.
A rare and important American atlas, with the accompanying
text volumes, in nice condition.
$17,500.
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descriptions of the items and additional
images where applicable.
Earliest American Chart of the North Carolina Coast
20. [Norman, John]: CHART OF THE COAST OF AMERIC A FROM C APE HATER AS [sic] TO C APE ROMAN FROM THE
ACTUAL SURVEYS OF DL. DUNBIBIN Esq. [Boston: John Norman, 1794]. Engraved sea chart, on two joined sheets. Overall sheet
size: 21¼ x 33 inches. Very good.
An early issue of the earliest American chart of the North Carolina
coast.
Wheat & Brun and others, speculate that the original version of
this map was separately published in 1761, citing an advertisement
in the September 14, 1761 Boston Gazette for a map of the Carolina
coast by Daniel Dunbibin. No copy of this 1761 map is known to
exist. It is believed, however, that John Norman re-used the original
printing plate for this map, or closely copied a surviving example,
when he published the first edition of his The American Pilot in 1791.
This example of Norman’s chart of the North Carolina coastline
is present here in its third state (i.e. preceded by the 1761 first issue,
and second issue copies from the 1791 and 1792 editions of Norman’s
pilot). This state can be discerned by the addition of “New Inlet” just
north of Cape Fear. Additional issues were published through 1803.
The American Revolution brought to an end Britain’s leading role
in the mapping of America. The task now fell to the American publishing industry, still in its infancy, but with first-hand access to the
new surveys that were documenting the rapid growth of the nation.
In particular, there was a need for nautical charts for use by the
expanding New England commercial fleets. Norman’s The American
Pilot, the second American atlas of any kind, met this need. The
American Pilot is one of the rarest of all American atlases, and one of
the very few published during the 18th century. $75,000.
Philadelphia When It Was the Capital of the United States
21. Hills, John: THIS PL AN OF THE CIT Y OF PHIL ADELPHIA AND ITS ENVIRONS, SHEWING THE IMPROVED PARTS,
IS DEDIC ATED TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN AND CITIZENS THEREOF. London. 1798. Engraved map printed on a single
elephant folio sheet, with 54 numbered references. Sheet size: 27¾ x 38 inches. Very good.
The best map of Philadelphia published during its time as the capital of the United States.
Hills was one of the most talented and prolific British surveyors
working during the Revolutionary War. During the Philadelphia
Campaign of 1777–78 and later actions in the New Jersey theatre,
Hills drafted a magnificent series of manuscript battle plans, and
larger regional campaign maps. After the war Hills seems to have
settled in Philadelphia, and in 1796 he drafted this impressive map,
receiving the commendation of the mayor, Matthew Clarkson.
To ensure the best quality of engraving and printing, it was still
necessary for Hills to send his plan to London for publication.
Engraved by John Cooke, the plan was published by the Boydells at
the end of 1797, although it also included an imprint by Hills offering
the map for sale in Philadelphia. The large size of this plan allowed
Hills to name and locate each of the dozens of wharves along the
Delaware and to give the details of construction then existing in
every city block to, and even beyond, the Schuylkill. This is the second issue of the map (with the Boydell imprint below the neat line)
which was issued very shortly after the first. Both states are very rare.
$27,500.
Expanded descriptions of these and many more items relating to
American cartography may be had by request, or found on our website:
www.williamreesecompany.com
The First Official Map of Massachusetts
22. Carleton, Osgood: MAP OF MA SSACHUSET TS PROPER COMPILED FROM ACTUAL SURVEYS MADE BY ORDER OF
THE GENER AL COURT, AND UNDER THE INSPECTION OF AGENTS OF THEIR APPOINTMENT. [Boston. 1801]. Engraved
map with original outline color, 31¾ x 46¾ inches. Dissected and mounted on contemporary linen. In good condition, with light foxing.
The revised, much improved, and first “official” edition of the most
important early map of Massachusetts. This edition is a great
improvement over Carleton’s 1798 original (which was rejected for
official sanction by the government of the Commonwealth) in several ways. First, the coastline and coastal islands have been more
correctly rendered, largely due to the fact that information from
the charts of Joseph Des Barres was incorporated. Secondly, roads
and streams that had been left incomplete in the earlier map were
extended. Lastly, some of the clutter of the 1798 map, engraved by
Carleton’s partner, John Norman, was removed, and the map is more
attractive and informative, with the lines cleaner and crisper.
The map is drawn on a scale of four miles to the inch, and gives a
clear delineation of the boundaries and coastline of the state of Massachusetts, and of the borders of each town in the state. The distance
of each town from Boston and from their respective county seat is
given, and major roads and streams are shown. Public and private
institutions, including academies, meetinghouses, courthouses, etc.,
are located, as are topographical features such as mountains, ponds,
rivers, and streams.
A very rare, important, and early map of Massachusetts.
$35,000.
With Three Engraved Maps
23. Melish, John: MILITARY DOCUMENTS: CONSISTING OF A DESCRIPTION OF THE SEAT OF WAR IN THE NORTHERN
SECTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND C ANADA . . . . Philadelphia. 1814. 34, 18, 29, 44pp. plus three maps. Contemporary roan
backed marbled boards, old manuscript label on front cover. Very good.
A rare, cartographically-illustrated
work by John Melish, meant to
complement his earlier War of 1812
maps.
In 1813, Melish first published
his “Map of the Seat of War in
North America,” with a new edition
from a new plate appearing shortly
thereafter. The success of that map
led Melish to separately publish
his “Map of the Southern Section
of the United States,” as well as a
map of the Straits of Detroit. In
1814, Melish packaged these three
maps together, along with the three
smaller maps found in the present
work, and published his Military
and Topographical Atlas. Apparently seeing a market for the work
to those who had already purchased
the three large maps separately (or
to those who wished to purchase
them separately), Melish in 1815
published the present work which
encompassed his Atlas without the
three large maps. The three maps in
this volume are “View of the Country round the Falls of Niagara,”
“East End of Lake Ontario,” and
“Plan of Montreal, with a map of
the Islands & Adjoining Country.”
This work is not well known. Shaw
& Shoemaker and OCLC together
locate a total of only three other
extant copies. Not in the NUC ,
Howes, or the Servies bibliography
of Florida.
This copy bears the ownership
signatures of two members of the
United States Army on the front
free endpaper, James Muhlenberg
Bailey, who fought in the War of
1812, and C.A. Waite, a career soldier decorated for his service in the
Mexican War. $8500.
A Major Early Map of Ohio, and the First to Show All Surveys
24. Hough, Benjamin, and Alexander Bourne: A MAP OF THE STATE OF OHIO FROM ACTUAL SURVEY. Philadelphia:
John Melish, 1815. Folding map, 46 x 51 inches, partially handcolored, backed on linen. Minor insect damage to linen, not affecting map.
A very nice copy.
The second map devoted to the state of Ohio, a greatly expanded
and revised version of the first, issued in 1807. Hough and Bourne
were General Land Office surveyors who took over and improved
the work of the surveyor general of the United States, Jared F.
Mansfield. They evidently bought the copyright to Mansfield’s work
after he was killed in the War of 1812, then substantially expanded
it, based on their own surveys. This map, with their revisions, is “the
first map of Ohio to show all the actual surveys within the inhabited
part of the state” (Ristow).
A quite rare map, with no copy appearing in Antique Map Price
Records, nor is there a copy in Rumsey. The Streeter copy, the last
to appear in book auction records, was sold by this firm to the Yale
Map Collection in 1982.
$75,000.
Boyë’s Famed Map of Virginia
25. Boyë, Herman: A MAP OF THE STATE OF VIRGINIA (REDUCED) FROM THE NINE SHEET MAP OF THE STATE,
IN CONFORMIT Y TO L AW. [Philadelphia]: Engraved by H.S. Tanner and E.B. Dawson, [1827]. Printed on four sheets, handcolored
in outline, dissected into forty sections and linen-backed at a contemporary date. Sheet size: Approximately 31¼ x 39½ inches. Folds into
contemporary half roan over marbled paper boards, spine lettered in gilt. Rubbed at joints. Minor toning overall, minor separations at folds,
else very good.
A nice example of Boyë’s rare and famed map of Virginia. In 1816 the
Virginia legislature passed ordinances for each county to provide an
accurate chart, so that a state map could be compiled. In 1819, John
Wood was appointed chief surveyor for the project. Wood died in
1822, after completing a large number of manuscript county survey
maps. Herman Boyë, a Danish emigrant living in Richmond, was
appointed to succeed Wood. Although the county surveys and maps
were finished, it took Boyë, a trained engineer, another five years to
bring the project to a successful conclusion
Two versions of the map were produced: a very large version
printed on nine sheets at a scale of one inch to the mile, of which
400 copies were printed; and a reduced version (the present copy)
printed on four sheets on a scale of one inch to ten miles, of which
800 copies were printed. Copies of both the large and reduced version of the original 1826 map are very scarce, with no copies of either
appearing in the auction records or the Antique Map Price Record.
The last copy of the reduced version that we could trace on the market was sold by Edward Eberstadt in 1963.
The present copy of the Boyë map carries an important Virginia
provenance to John Randolph of Roanoke (1773–1833), a leading
southern anti-Federalist and a fierce advocate of states’ rights.
$47,500.
Wall Map of the United States in 1825
26. Vance, David H.: MAP OF THE UNITED STATES OF NORTH AMERIC A COMPILED FROM THE L ATEST AND MOST
AUTHENTIC INFORMATION. Philadelphia: Anthony Finley, [1825–1829]. Wall map, 51 x 61 inches, with full period color. Expertly
repaired, backed with modern linen, trimmed in burgundy cloth, and on contemporary rollers. Very good.
This is the very scarce second edition of the finest general map of
the United States published since Melish’s map of 1816. Rumsey
describes the map as “Scarce . . . Contemporary with Lay’s [map of
the U.S.] but a much more ambitious production.” The large inset
“Map of North America including all of the Recent Geographical
Discoveries” (18 x 20 inches) shows the northern Pacific boundary
of the United States at 54º, probably the earliest map to show the
northern boundary of the U.S. at that latitude.
As with most maps of the nation published before 1850, Finley
includes only that portion east of approximately the 101st meridian.
The map is quite rare in any edition, and was unknown in any edition
to Wheat, who notes only Finley’s 1826 atlas maps.
$12,000.
Southwest quadrant of North American map shown.
The Greatest United States Atlas to That Time
27. Tanner, Henry S.: A NEW AMERIC AN ATL A S CONTAINING MAPS OF THE SEVER AL STATES OF THE NORTH
AMERIC AN UNION. . . . Philadelphia. 1825. Letterpress half title, 1p. index, and 18pp. text. Eighteen fine handcolored engraved maps
(16 double-page, 2 folding). Folio. Expertly bound to style in half calf over contemporary marbled paper-covered boards. Very good.
A fine copy of the second edition of “one the most magnificent
atlases ever published in the United States,” engraved during the
“Golden Age of American Cartography” (Ristow).
Tanner’s New American Atlas contains the most accomplished
series of maps of America that had yet appeared in an atlas. Of the
greatest importance were the maps of American states, which are
highly detailed and brilliantly colored. While New York and Florida
each had their own dedicated page, other double-page sheets showcased multiple states at a time. As the title claims, these maps were
drawn up using a careful combination of original surveys and the
best existing published sources.
The evident high cost of production meant that the publishers
took the decision to issue the maps originally in five separate parts
which were published from 1819 to 1823. A first collected edition was
published in 1823, and this second revised edition appeared in 1825.
The maps, all of which are carefully handcolored, include a world
map, four maps of continents, a map of South America on a large
folding sheet made up from two joined sheets (the index calls for
two separate sheets), a map of North America on four sheets, and
eleven double-page maps of the various states.
$85,000.
Classic Overland Map
28. Preuss, Charles: TOPOGR APHIC AL MAP OF THE ROAD FROM MISSOURI TO OREGON COMMENCING AT THE
MOUTH OF THE K ANSA S IN THE MISSOURI RIVER AND ENDING AT THE MOUTH OF THE WALL AH-WALL AH
IN THE COLUMBIA . . . . Baltimore. 1846. Seven individual sheets, each 15¾ x 26 inches, folded. Expertly bound to style in half morocco
and marbled boards. Expert repairs to old folds. Very good.
First issue of the first map “to show the Oregon Trail accurately”
(Rumsey). One of the greatest monuments to the cartography of the
American West.
Charles Preuss, born in Prussia in 1803, served as the cartographer on Fremont’s first and second expeditions and drew all of the
maps which accompany Fremont’s reports. Preuss also produced
the present masterful map of the Oregon Trail. It is drawn to a
very detailed scale, ten miles to an inch, and provides accurate cartographical information about the whole of the 1,670 mile route
between the Missouri and the Columbia rivers. The sheets combine
to give a real feeling of the daily progress of the expedition (in 1842
and 1843, between June 10 and October 26) by including indicators of where and when each overnight camp was set, where each
noon-day halt was called, and the total distance from the starting
point of Westport Landing. Longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates are also given, as are daily “Meteorological Observations” and
“Remarks,” including notes on the availability of game, water, grazing, the friendliness (or otherwise) of local Indian tribes, and some
quite lengthy extracts from Fremont’s Report. A second revised issue
$9000.
of this map was published in 1849. Sheet four of seven.
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descriptions of the items and additional
images where applicable.
A Seminal Map of the Southwest
29. Tanner, Henry S.: A MAP OF THE UNITED STATES OF MEXICO, AS ORGANIZED AND DEFINED BY THE SEVER AL
ACTS OF CONGRESS OF THat REPUBLIC. Philadelphia: H.S. Tanner, 1846. Engraved map on banknote paper, with original handcolor. Sheet size: 23 x 28½ inches. Very good.
An important and rare map of Mexico, depicting Texas in its largest form. This is the “1846, second edition” of Tanner’s celebrated
map. The map embraces all of modern Mexico and the southwestern
United States of America, and prominently features the new state
of Texas with its original extensive boundaries. Texas is portrayed
as an enormous Mexican state, its massive territory extending far to
the north and west of its modern limits, following the eastern band
of the Rio Grande up to its headwaters, up into the “stovepipe” to a
point touching the 42nd parallel. The geographical detailing of most
of Texas is quite accurate, as Tanner was well apprised of Stephen
F. Austin’s surveys, a point underscored by his inclusion of “Austin’s
Colony” in east-central Texas.
Henry S. Tanner, of Philadelphia, was one of the most esteemed
American mapmakers of the first half of the 19th century. His 1822
“Map of North America” was one of the most influential of the
period. In 1825 he excerpted and enlarged the portion of the map
pertaining to what was a newly independent Mexico, which then
included the entire American southwest. Tanner’s map effectively
became the definitive source map for the region, directly informing
the famous Disturnell map of 1846, the “Treaty map” initially used
to consider the demarcation of the international border following
$30,000.
the Mexican-American war. San Francisco in the Early Years of the Gold Rush
30. MAP OF SAN FR ANCISCO, COMPILED FROM L ATEST SURVEYS & CONTAINING ALL L ATE EXTENSIONS
& DIVISIONS OF WARDS. San Francisco: Britton & Rey, [1852]. Lithographed map, 9 x 11 inches and printed on blue paper.
Some browning and chipping at edges. Slight staining along the upper edge. Very good.
An early and important map of the developing city of San Francisco, issued as a letter sheet by the lithographic firm of Britton &
Rey. It shows the city bounded by San Francisco Bay, the Presidio
Ranch, and Mission Creek and Tracy Street. Most significantly,
it shows proposed extensions of the city’s waterfront area into the
bay. Speculation in these proposed lots was running rampant at the
time, and the city had sold “water lots” in the central business district as early as 1847 in order to pay down municipal debt. Planked
streets are shown in darker tones, and the extra width of Market
and California streets is indicated. The “Mission Plank Road,” a toll
road built in 1851 is also indicated. A vignette of a building in the
lower right corner is captioned “Page Bacon & Co.—Adams & Co.,”
showing the offices of the important banking firms that likely commissioned the map. A key gives the locations of City Hall, the post
office, customs house, places of worship, etc. The map is undated,
but a date of 1852 was derived from comparisons with the B. F. Butler map of 1852 and the Zakreski map of 1853. $3750.
Rare Pike’s Peak Overland Guide with Important Maps
31. Redpath, James, and Richard J. Hinton: HAND-BOOK TO K ANSAS TERRITORY AND THE ROCK Y MOUNTAINS’ GOLD
REGION; ACCOMPANIED BY RELIABLE MAPS AND A PRELIMINARY TREATISE ON THE PRE-EMPTION L AWS OF THE
UNITED STATES. New York: J.H. Colton, 1859. 177pp. plus three maps on two folding sheets, and [7]pp. of ads. 16mo. Original cloth,
stamped in gilt and blind. Spine ends very slightly chipped. Maps with an occasional small separation at a cross-fold, else in excellent
condition. Very clean internally. Near fine.
A rare Colorado gold rush guide
book with three important maps of
the region. The first two maps (on
one sheet and both outlined in color)
are “Kansas and Nebraska” and
“Nebraska and Kanzas. Showing
Pikes Peak and the Gold Region.”
The third map is “Military Map
of Parts of Kansas, Nebraska, and
Dakota by Lieut. G. K. Warren
from Explorations made by him
in 1855–57.” The second and third
maps are particularly significant,
showing Denver, Montana, and
as far west as Salt Lake. The text
contains an account of the Kansas
region, descriptions of the various
routes, information on the gold
discoveries in the Rockies, and
advice on outfitting a trip to the gold
fields. “Pre-emption” laws relate to
land claims and are treated in an
appendix. The authors were correspondents for eastern newspapers.
Many of the advertisements at the
rear are for rail routes to the Pike’s
Peak gold region. The Eberstadts
describe this guide book as the “original ‘Pike’s Peak or Bust’ overland
guide.” $11,000.
Sheet nine shown.
One of the Greatest American Maps, with Superb Original Color
32. Popple, Henry: A MAP OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE IN AMERIC A WITH THE FRENCH AND SPANISH SET TLEMENTS
ADJACENT THERETO. London: Engrav’d by Willm. Henry Toms, 1733 [but ca. 1735]. Engraved map with full contemporary handcoloring (with twenty-two integral inset views and plans) on 15 double-page and 5 single-page sheets, with the double-page key hand-colored
in outline. With the contents leaf, laid in. Folio. Expertly bound to style in contemporary half morocco and marbled boards, spine gilt, red
morocco label. Very good.
A monument to 18th-century American cartography: a highly
attractive fully colored copy of the first large-scale map of North
America, and the first printed map to show the thirteen colonies.
Popple maps with full contemporary color are exceedingly rare, we
have handled only one other copy, and the only other comparable
example to have appeared at auction in the past thirty years is the
Siebert/Freilich copy.
Popple produced this map under the auspices of the Lord
Commissioners of Trade and Plantations to help settle disputes
arising from the rival expansion of English, Spanish and French
colonies. The present copy of Popple’s map, with its full contemporary hand-coloring, would have been particularly useful in these
disputes–English territory is colored red, that claimed by Spain is
in yellow, French territory in blue, and Dutch claims are colored
purple. The coloring adds a whole new dimension to a map that is
usually only seen in its uncolored state.
The map is on a grand scale: if actually assembled it would result
in a rectangle over eight feet square. Several of the sections are illustrated with handsome pictorial views or inset maps. Mark Babinski
has made a detailed study of the issues and states of the Popple map.
This copy is in Babinski’s state 5; the key map is in Babinski’s state 1.
The very rare small format table of contents is present.
$275,000.
Our most recent catalogues include 283, American Presidents, 284, Latin American Independence, and
285, The English Colonies in North America 1590–1763. These catalogues, among others, may be viewed
on our website at www.williamreesecompany.com