United States. Melish (John). Map of the United States with the contiguous British & Spanish Possessions Compiled from the latest & best Authorities by John Melish Engraved by J. Vallance & H. S. Tanner. Entered according to Act of Congress the 6th day of June 1816. Published by John Melish Philadelphia, folding engraved map sectionalised into 40 sheets and laid on linen, contemporary outline colouring, calligraphic title surmounted by the American Eagle, inset map of the West Indies and statistical table, slight dust soiling, occasional small holes to linen where folds cross, the whole edged in brown silk with some loss, marbled end sheets to verso, 890 x 1455 mm (Quantity: 1) Martin/Ristow 24; Streeter VI:3798. This is the first large-scale detailed map made in the U.S. to show the whole of North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Martin & Ristow identify seven states of the first edition published in 1816. This appears to be the fourth state, with Mansfield, Wooster and Adelphi (and a trail from Adelphi to Athens and Chillicothe) added in Ohio, and ‘Vevay or’ added before ‘Swiss Vineyards’ in southeastern Indiana. Melish published new editions in 1818 (five states), 1819 (two states), 1820 (eight states), 1822 (two states), and 1823 (one state), a total of 25 different issues. Notwithstanding all these printings, the map has become extremely rare to find in any issue. Melish produced no more than 100 examples of each state and partly due to its large size few have survived in good condition. Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the huge expanse of the country to the Western Seaboard and the Pacific Ocean became an exciting prospect for exploration and colonisation. The mapping from the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-06 had offered tantalising glimpses of parts of this vast territory. Their explorations, together with those of US army officer and explorer Zebulon Pike provided early regional snapshots of previously unknown regions in the West. But it was Melish - along with Aaron Arrowsmith and his seminal map of Mexico (1810) - who gathered all the most up-to-date data from state and military maps to produce the first systematic and comprehensive map of the United States. This exquisite map, with an inset of the West Indies, helped Melish to become renowned as the leading American map publisher of the second decade of the 19th century and placed American maps on equal footing with those produced by the esteemed firms in London and Paris.
United States. Melish (John). Map of the United States with the contiguous British & Spanish Possessions Compiled from the latest & best Authorities by John Melish Engraved by J. Vallance & H. S. Tanner. Entered according to Act of Congress the 6th day of June 1816. Published by John Melish Philadelphia, folding engraved map sectionalised into 40 sheets and laid on linen, contemporary outline colouring, calligraphic title surmounted by the American Eagle, inset map of the West Indies and statistical table, slight dust soiling, occasional small holes to linen where folds cross, the whole edged in brown silk with some loss, marbled end sheets to verso, 890 x 1455 mm (Quantity: 1) Martin/Ristow 24; Streeter VI:3798. This is the first large-scale detailed map made in the U.S. to show the whole of North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Martin & Ristow identify seven states of the first edition published in 1816. This appears to be the fourth state, with Mansfield, Wooster and Adelphi (and a trail from Adelphi to Athens and Chillicothe) added in Ohio, and ‘Vevay or’ added before ‘Swiss Vineyards’ in southeastern Indiana. Melish published new editions in 1818 (five states), 1819 (two states), 1820 (eight states), 1822 (two states), and 1823 (one state), a total of 25 different issues. Notwithstanding all these printings, the map has become extremely rare to find in any issue. Melish produced no more than 100 examples of each state and partly due to its large size few have survived in good condition. Following the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the huge expanse of the country to the Western Seaboard and the Pacific Ocean became an exciting prospect for exploration and colonisation. The mapping from the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804-06 had offered tantalising glimpses of parts of this vast territory. Their explorations, together with those of US army officer and explorer Zebulon Pike provided early regional snapshots of previously unknown regions in the West. But it was Melish - along with Aaron Arrowsmith and his seminal map of Mexico (1810) - who gathered all the most up-to-date data from state and military maps to produce the first systematic and comprehensive map of the United States. This exquisite map, with an inset of the West Indies, helped Melish to become renowned as the leading American map publisher of the second decade of the 19th century and placed American maps on equal footing with those produced by the esteemed firms in London and Paris.
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
