The Mapping of America

Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, first edition, 1980. Cloth, oblong 4to, 28 x 30 cm,. 363 pp, 223 numbered ills (84 in colour) and numerous others. Part One. 1500-1800 Seymour I. Schwartz. Mapping a new continent, the first decade: 1500-1510 ; A rough draft of the Atlantic and Gulf coastlines: 1510-1550 ; Early attempts at colonization: 1550-1600 ; Permanent colonization reflected on maps: 1600-1650 ; Expansion of seaboard colonies and exploration of inland waterways: 1650-1700 ; European claims in America: 1700-1750 ; The emergence of the nation: 1750-1800 -- Part Two. Since 1800 / Ralph E. Ehrenberg. Mapping an expanding nation: 1800-1840 ; Emergence of scientific and thematic maps: 1840-1900 ; Mapping an industrialized United States: since 1900. From the blurb: "..in The Mapping of America we watch our nation take shape, from the first tentative charting! to the satellites' overviews of today; we see the explorers' westward push, the settlers' quest, and the growing need for defense, for transport, and for information-especially after the discovery of gold brought the West Coast into the Eastern limelight. .. The authors have combed all major collections of maps of America, public and private, to bring together this rich display. War produces many maps, of course, but so does peace: plans for new towns, maps for canals and railroads, for postal service, insurance rates, and traffic density. And, to round out our picture of each period, 131 illustrations of all kinds of related subjects enliven the pages along with the maps and text. If this were not enough, there is the extraordinary pull of the maps themselves. Some are beautiful as works of art, others are hasty sketches made in the wilderness. Some are haunting records of struggles long past, others are finished examples of the cartographer's science and skill. Unique manuscript maps in pen and ink vie with maps reproduced in woodcut, engraving, lithography and its cousin cerography, and by photographic processes; many are in colors, or with hand-colored vignettes and boundaries; they may be on paper, vellum, or cloth. Small wonder that the study and collecting of maps has always been a field intensely cultivated by connoisseurs. Dr. Seymour I. Schwartz, well known as a surgeon and author on surgery, here writes as an ardent and enlightened collector; he presents the maps from the time of the Discovery until 1800. Ralph E. Ehrenberg, of the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress, discusses American mapping in this and the past century. In ten chapters, these two distinguished authors bnng together their substantial learning, their perceptive appreciation of American maps, and their knowledge of the lore surrounding mapmakers and their works. Looking at these 223 maps, 84 reproduced in full color, we see the continent discovered and partly explored, the nation wrested free, its boundaries established, and its resources charted as thirteen states become fifty in number. There is something here for every reader! The lavish captions, two bibliographies, and extensive index make this enthralling material easy to enjoy. 354 illustrations, including 84 plates in full color." Corners slightly bumped, covers slightly soiled, otherwise Very Good in slightly soiled dustwrapper.