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[ Locations | Map themes & related | Cartographers ]
[ 19th century regional maps of the U.S. ]
Henricus Hondius' derivative of the famous John Smith map of Virginia, the first printed map to focus on the Chesapeake Bay. John Smith was part of the first English settlement in North America. Smith arrived in Jamestown in the spring of 1607 and went to work surveying the Chesapeake region in order to compile a map of the "New Virginia" colony. This was first published in Smith's account of 1612, and because of its importance it was soon copied by Jodocus Hondius Jr. in 1618. A decade later, Amsterdam publisher Willem Blaeu purchased a large collection of Jodocus Hondius' plates from his widow, including this one, which he began to issue with his own imprint. Henricus Hondius, Jodocus' brother, together with Jan Jansson, were beginning to issue their own series of atlases, and with the sale of the Virginia plate to Blaeu, Henricus needed to produce his own new plate. This is a faithful copy of the original Jodocus Hondius plate, though the decorative vignettes were copied in mirror Image (the Indian on the right now looks to the left). Also the British royal coat-of-arms now appears.
As the first printed map of Virginia, the Smith rendering in all its versions had a profound impact on the mapping of the colony, standing as the prototype for the region from the beginning of the seventeenth century well into its second half. The map shows the information gathered by Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake Bay, the limits of which are indicated by a series of crosses. Also shown are the surrounding Indian settlements, as well as the settlement at Jamestown. In the upper left corner is an inset showing Powhatan's hut, and the right side is graced by a colorful coat-of-arms and an illustration of a native taken from De Bry. One interesting feature of the map is its western orientation, which shows the Chesapeake region as it would have been seen by a passenger in a ship sailing from Europe. $3,800
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. Overall, very good condition. Framed. [Note picture is through glass of frame.]
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
Joshua Fry and Peter Jefferson. "A Map of the most Inhabited Part of Virginia containing the whole Province of Maryland...Drawn by Joshua Fry & Peter Jefferson in 1775." London: Sayer & Jefferys, 1775. Four sheets joined, 30 3/4 x 48 1/2. Engraving. Original hand color. Wall map that has been removed from mounting. Paper toned. Some old tears and punctures; all expertly conserved. Overall appearance is very good.
One of the most famous of American maps, and the finest eighteenth century map of Virginia and Maryland. The map was commissioned by the English Lords of Trade as part of the comprehensive mapping of the British colonies undertaken in the middle of the eighteenth century. The surveyors were Peter Jefferson, Thomas' father, and Joshua Fry, a mathematician at the College of William and Mary and Thomas Jefferson's tutor, who had already taken a number of important surveying commissions in Virginia. The map was based on their own surveys of the interior together with other first-hand information. Fry and Jefferson finished their map in 1751 and then revised it a few years later to incorporate information from John Dalrymple and others concerning the western part of the colony. The resulting map was by the far the best of Virginia to date and the first to accurately map beyond the Chesapeake Bay region and into the Appalachian mountains. This map was thus a watershed in the history of the mapping of Virginia and remained the prototype for the region for the second half of the century. Not only was it the first map to show the western parts of the colony, but it was the first to depict the road system in the colony. In the lower right is a lovely title cartouche showing a harbor scene on the Chesapeake and a tobacco warehouse, a vignette that has earned its own place in American iconography.
Though dated in the map 1751--the date the manuscript was finished--the first issue of the map was probably published about 1753 and was titled "A Map of the Inhabited part of Virginia…" It is exceedingly rare, with only a few complete copies known to exist. It was shortly after this issue that Fry and Jefferson updated the depiction of the western parts of the map, making a number of changes to produce what they called the "second edition" of 1755. This second edition was actually the fourth state, with two other intermediary states showing different stages in the modification of the geographic rendering on the map, as well as the change of the title to now read "A Map of the most Inhabited part of Virginia" (emphasis added). No more geographic changes were made, but the map went through four more editions with the date changed to 1768, 1775, 1782, and finally 1794. The issue of 1775, of which this is a good example, was published for Thomas Jefferys' important America Atlas, which contained examples of the many great maps of the American colonies that resulted from the mid-century mapping undertaken by the British. $35,000
Anthony Finley. "Virginia." Philadelphia: A. Finley, 1827. From A New General Atlas. 8 3/4 x 11 1/3. Engravings by Young & Delleker. Original hand color. Minor stain in outside margin. Otherwise, very good condition.
In the 1820's, Anthony Finley produced a series of fine atlases in the then leading American cartographic center, Philadelphia. Finley's work is a good example of the quality that American publishers were beginning to obtain. Each map is elegantly presented, with crisp and clear engraving and very attractive pastel hand shading. Topographical and political information is copious, including counties, towns, rivers, roads and so on. Finley was very concerned to depict as up-to-date information as was possible, and thus his maps present an accurate picture of the world in the early decades of the nineteenth century. An excellent series of maps from the nascent American cartographic world. $250
Thomas G. Bradford. "Virginia." From A Universal Illustrated Atlas. Boston: Chares D. Strong., [1838]-1842. 11 3/8 x 14 1/8. Engraving by G.W. Boynton. Original hand color. With repaired tear in upper right corner and some paper brittleness. Else, very good condition.
A precisely engraved map by Thomas G. Bradford, a Boston map publisher. This map was first issued in the 1838 edition of Bradford's atlas, and this example was published four years later. This map is up-to-date in showing the political and topographical situation with very good accuracy. Detail includes rivers, lakes, towns, and counties. Also shown are early canals and railroads. The whole is attractively presented with original hand coloring. A rare and early map of Virginia. $325
"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
"A New Map of Virginia with its canals, roads & distances. . . along the stage and steamboat routes." Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1851. 10 3/4 x 12 3/4. Lithograph. Original hand color. Very good condition. Contains an inset "Profile of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal."
After Mitchell issued his edition of the Universal Atlas, the rights were purchased by another Philadelphia firm, Thomas, Cowperthwait. This is their version of the map above. It contains a great deal of information on political boundaries, topography, and the modes of transportation for both present-day Virginia as well as West Virginia which was not separated until the Civil War years. Besides the profile inset, the bottom margin features a table of miles between points by steamboat. $225
John Bachmann. "Bird's Eye View of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia." From a series entitled "Panorama of the Seat of War." New York: Charles Magnus, 1864. 24 1/4 x 36. Tinted lithograph. Some small, expertly repaired short tears. Otherwise, very good condition.
This fascinating print is half view, half map. The scene looks down upon the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries from a 'bird's eye view.' It shows the progress of the Union blockade against the Confederates, and it was designed for a Northern audience. Along the right side one can see Wilmington, Baltimore, and Harper's Ferry, including the water and road network that connected these points to the south. Norfolk, Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Washington are seen in the center of the image, with fine detail. Also shown are the forts and ships along and in the Chesapeake and to the north. A dramatic and informative image of the center of action during the Civil War. $2,700
"Gray's New Topographical Map of Virginia and West Virginia." Philadelphia: O.W. Gray & Son, 1881. 16 1/4 x 27. Lithograph. Original color. Very good condition.
A detailed map of the state by the Philadelphia firm of O.W. Gray and Son. The firm began its publishing around mid-century and published regional and U.S. atlases up to the 1880s. This map was issued shortly after the American centennial and it is typical of their work. It contains excellent topographical information and good detail on the towns, counties, roads, and railroads in the state. This information and its attractive presentation make it a nice example of American cartography of the period. Inset maps show Hampton Roads, Norfolk Harbor, the northern and western extremities of the states, and a hypsometric sketch of the states. $185
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