Carey, Henry Charles, and Isaac Lea | An early atlas of the United States, containing an important map of the West

Carey, Henry Charles and Isaac Lea

A Complete Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas, being a guide to the history of North and South America, and the West Indies: exhibiting an accurate account of the discovery, settlement, and progress, of their various kingdoms, states, provinces, &c. Together with the wars, celebrated battles, and remarkable events, to the year 1822. Philadelphia: H.C. Carey & I. Lea, 1822

Folio (445 x 302 mm). Mounted on guards throughout, with letterpress title, 1p. "Advertisement," 1p. "Contents" and "Index," letterpress text leaves, and 46 double-page hand-colored engraved maps of America, all but one with borders of letterpress descriptive text, 1 uncolored double-page engraved view showing the comparative heights of mountains throughout the world, 1 hand-colored double-page engraved table showing the comparative lengths of the principal rivers worldwide, 5 letterpress tables, 4 of which are double-page and 3 hand-colored; some faint toning, occasional spots and stains, dampstaining in the margins, some chips and tears mostly at edges, many of the tears closed, the tear on map no. 16 affecting the map title. Bound to style in half dark blue straight grained morocco, contemporary marbled paper covered boards, gilt lettered and decorated spine; boards rubbed with a few infill restorations to old losses.

First edition of one of the most important early atlases printed in the United States: a handsome atlas of the Americas, with individual hand-colored maps of each state in the Union, including a seminal map of the West by Stephen H. Long.

At the time of publication this was the best and most detailed atlas to be produced in the United States. Fielding Lucas, the major Baltimore printer, was the principal engraver and substantial historical background text accompanies each map. Among the most noted maps in the atlas is Major Stephen H. Long's "Map of Arkansas and other Territories of the United States." That map, which depicts the Missouri basin between Nashville in the east, the Mandan villages in the north and the Rocky Mountains in the west, was based on the surveys conducted by Long on his expeditions of 1819 and 1820. The map published in Carey & Lea's atlas preceded the official account of that expedition by expedition botanist Edwin James, which included a smaller map with similar detail (titled "Country drained by the Mississippi Western Section"). Carey and Lea's 1822 publication of James Account perhaps explains the prior inclusion of this map with Long expedition information in their atlas. On this famous map is the printed legend, which would perpetuate a myth for many years to come, identifying the high plains as the "Great American Desert."

Carey and Lea's atlas was first issued, as here, in 1822; an 1823 second issue followed, largely the same as the first but with a new title and revised states of several maps and text leaves (generally minor, including additional shading to maps and improved resetting of several text leaves).

REFERENCES

Howes C133; Phillips 1373a; Sabin 15055