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Other map pages:
[ Locations | Map themes & related | Cartographers ]
[ 19th century regional maps of the U.S. ]
A map of Virginia, Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay by Jacques Nicolas Bellin, the Hydrographer to the King of France. From about 1650 to 1750, the French dominated the cartographic world, with their fine, scientifically based maps, elegantly engraved and precisely detailed. Bellin (1703-72) was one of the best in the later period. This map focuses on the Chesapeake Bay, showing the rivers and creeks draining into it and the towns and roads throughout the area. Also shown are the southern parts of Pennsylvania (including Philadelphia) and New Jersey. A lovely baroque title cartouche compliments this historic interest of this map. $525
A. H. Jaillot. "Carte Particulaire de Virginie, Maryland, Pennsilvanie, La Nouvelle Iarsey Orient et Occidentale." Amsterdam: Pierre Mortier, 1700. 20 x 31. Engraving. Original hand color. Wide margins. Light scattered spots and time toning at extreme edge of margins. Overall, very good condition.
An attractive, large scale sea chart of the area around the Chesapeake Bay from Norfolk to New York. The son of French parents, Mortier was born in France but lived and worked in Amsterdam (1661-1722). A bookseller and publisher from about 1685, he entered into the map-trade in 1690 and soon became known as a publisher of some of the finest maps of the period. Though there is no definite attribution, this map was derived by Jaillot from the work of two Englishman, William Fisher and John Thornton. These two men published in 1689 what was to become for over one hundred years, a virtually unaltered sailing chart of the Chesapeake area. This map improved upon earlier maps showing greater detail of soundings, sand bars, and new place names, especially along the Virginia coast, that was not previously known. This map was, therefore, one of the most accurate of its time.
This map is a sea chart that was part of Mortier's Le Neptune Francois, and it has a western orientation, as this is the way one would see the land as one sailed towards it from Europe. The map shows the coastline from below Cape Henry to Staten Island, naming nearly every creek and inlet along these coasts. Interesting details of this map include the presence of sand bars and a "sunken marais [marsh]" off-shore of Staten Island (no Manhattan shown); the wealth of detail throughout the Chesapeake Bay; the amount of settlement along the James and York Rivers; and the recognition of Philadelphia as the only city of any substance. The rose compasses and rhumb lines along with the hand coloring, make the map very attractive. Unusually large for a sea chart, the map was obviously intended as something of a showpiece. Decoratively and historically a show-stopper. $8,500
Samuel Lewis. "Virginia." Philadelphia: H.C. Carey & I. Lea, 1822-27. From A Complete Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas. 12 1/4 x 18 1/4 (map); 16 1/2 x 20 1/2 (full sheet). Engraving by Young & Delleker. Full, original hand coloring. Very good condition.
In 1822, Henry Charles Carey and Isaac Lea published their American Atlas. This volume was based on Emmanuel Las Cases' Atlas Historique of 1803, with updated maps and text modified by Carey, a political economist. He considered himself an American foil to John Stuart Mill and the London economists who were proclaimers of "the gloomy science" influenced by Ricardo and Malthus. Instead of preaching overpopulation and degeneration of the human species, Carey illustrated the nations of the western hemisphere through maps that showed an expanding region with ample promise of developing into lands of great new opportunity and growth. The sheets from this atlas, which cover North America, Central America, South America and the West Indies, are comprised of an engraved map surrounded by text documenting the history, climate, population and so forth of the area depicted. The atlas is particularly known for its excellent early maps of the states and territories of the United States. Many of these maps were drawn by Fielding Lucas, Jr., an important Baltimore cartographer. All of the maps show excellent and very up-to-date detail, providing fine verbal and graphic pictures of states and territories in the early 19th century. $650
"A New Map of Virginia with its Canals, Roads & Distances..along the Stage & Steam Boat Routes." From Universal Atlas. Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell, 1849. 11 1/2 x 13 3/4. Lithographic transfer from engraved plate. Full original hand color. Some typical paper toning at edges. Very good condition.
In 1849, the Philadelphia firm of S. Augustus Mitchell issued an edition of Tanner's Universal Atlas. It continued the publication of the fine state maps, updated for new information. This was near the beginning of the history of the Mitchell firm, which would come to dominate American cartography in output and influence. This early map of Virginia is a good example of the firm's output. Topographical information, including towns, rivers, roads, etc. is clearly shown, and the counties are shaded with contrasting pastel shades. This map is especially interesting in its depiction of the transportation network in the state, including roads and railroads. A table at the bottom lists the steamboat routes, and along the top is a profile of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. An important source of information in this period of increased immigration and travel in the American south. $325
S.A. Mitchell, Jr. "County Map of Virginia and West Virginia." Philadelphia: S. A. Mitchell, Jr., 1871. 11 1/2 x 14 1/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. With stain in bottom margin and chip in top margin.
S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr., of Philadelphia, was one of the largest map publishers of the middle of the nineteenth century. The firm was founded by his father, who from around the middle of the nineteenth century issued atlases and maps of all parts of the world in all formats. The Mitchell atlases contained up-to-date maps which were as attractive as they were accurate. With its bold hand-color, decorative borders, and interesting information from this interesting period of American history, this is a fine example of the Mitchell firm's output. $100
"Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia." Philadelphia: W.M. Bradley & Bro., 1884. 16 x 22 1/2. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition.
A precisely detailed map from the Philadelphia publishing firm of William M. Bradley & Bro. While Philadelphia was no longer the main center of cartographic publishing in North America by the late nineteenth century, many fine maps were still produced there, as is evidenced by this map. Topography, political information, towns, roads and physical features are all presented precisely and clearly. $150
"Virginia." From Rand-McNally Indexed Atlas of the World. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1889. 19 x 26. Chromolithograph. Very good condition. With inset map of western portion of Virginia in upper left corner of map.
A late nineteenth century map from the early days of the Rand, McNally & Co. firm out of Chicago, a company that would shift the center of cartographic publishing from the east coast to the mid-west. Typical of the work from the firm, this map has good detail precisely and neatly exhibited. Topographic and social information, counties, rail lines, towns, rivers and mountains are all illustrated. Aesthetically and cartographically the quality of this map is a foreshadow of the maps of the twentieth century. $175
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