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Catalog: Details
Mitchell, S. Augustus, A New Universal Atlas Containing Maps of the Various Empires, Kingdoms, States and Republics of the World. With a Special Map of Each of the United States, Plans of Cities &c.. Philadelphia: Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co., 1851. Folio. Illustrated t.p.; 74 maps (one double-page map of the United States and 73 single-page), charts and city plans. Original half leather binding with green marble-paper covered boards, New Morocco spine and corners. Large gilt label "Mitchell's Universal Atlas." The maps, all with original color, are generally clean and in VG condition. SOLD
The New Universal Atlas was originally published by Henry Schenk Tanner, appearing first in parts in 1832 and then in bound form in 1836. Tanner was one of the finest early American mapmakers and "a principal contributor to the Golden Age [of American Cartography]" (Ristow, p. 191), the decades from 1820 to 1840 when "commercial map publishing based upon copper-plate engraving reached its zenith" (ibid). Samuel Augustus Mitchell took over publication of The New Universal Atlas in 1846 and changed the printing method from copper-plate engraving to the recently-introduced lithographic transfer process, which used zinc plates and allowed for longer print runs. Mitchell continued to update the maps, though from 1850 to 1859 publication was handled by other firms, primarily Thomas, Cowperthwait and Company.
This example is an edition of 1851 with changes from 1850 noted by Phillips. It has the added map of the Minnesota Territory, though that map is numbered 35* rather than as 36 per Phillips. Thus it likely is an early example of the 1851 edition. It also has a new map of the Western region entitled Map of the State of California with the Territories of Oregon & Utah, with the chief part of New Mexico replacing Oregon, Upper California, & New Mexico....
Many maps in the atlas show the nation's state of development at this time. There is an attractive map of Texas, admitted to the Union only five years before. Some Midwestern states such as Wisconsin and Iowa have only a few counties. For an overall view there are the map of North America and the double-page U.S. The latter extends to the Pacific and names territories in the west. It has considerable detail with mountain ranges, rivers, Indian tribes, trails and forts marked. There are two insets: The District of Columbia and a large one entitled Gold Region of California. Phillips, Atlases 805; Ristow, American Maps and Mapmakers, 200-202, 311-13.
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