John Wallis | A map celebrating America's independence featuring Washington and Franklin, an unrecorded proof state

[John Wallis]

Untitled map of the United States, one of the earliest cartographical depictions of the new nation created by the Treaty of Paris. The large surrounding cartouche with figures of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. [London: John Wallis, March 1783]

Engraved map (sheet: 217 x 290 mm; platemark: 178 x 208 mm). Unrecorded proof state, hand-colored; minor soiling and staining, a few very short edge tears; two corners creased.

An unrecorded proof state of this highly decorative map published at the end of the Revolutionary War, commemorating the Treaty of Paris, and celebrating the newly formed United States of America.

After the preliminary treaty of Paris was signed on 20 January, 1783, most mapmakers, like Carrington Bowles, Jean Lattré, and Sayer and Bennett, reworked old copperplates and re-engraved "The United States" into their cartouches. This map, on the other hand, is an entirely original engraving, officially published on 18 March 1783.

The unusual composition gives far more space to the allegorical border than it does to the rather simple, oval map. That said, the map does delineate the basic borders of each state and gives city and place names. It also includes various other details like the location of French Louisiana, the Spanish Floridas, some major rivers and lakes, as well as a note locating the "Country of Mines" in present-day Missouri.

The inset map is flanked by two of America's most important founding fathers—General George Washington, who fought and defeated the British, and diplomat Benjamin Franklin, who negotiated the Treaty of Paris and officially ended the Revolutionary War. Both are accompanied by allegorical figures. Washington is shown being led by Liberty, and Franklin is seen being advised by Wisdom and Justice. Above Washington, winged Fame, with a wreath of laurels in one hand, blows her trumpet to announce the new nation. The background near Franklin includes a pine tree and a pineapple, symbols of American resilience, wealth, and promise.

While the publication of a map celebrating American independence in 1783 London may seem surprising, there had for decades been a significant group of Whigs among the British governing classes and their pundits who believed in liberalism and constitutionality. As such, Wallis could have expected this map to be commercially viable.

There is a second state of the map dated 18 March 1783, and with the imprint of Wallis and the engravers Thomas Jones Woodman and Henry Mutlow. That state of the map is known in a single copy held at the British Museum (number 1865,0610.1143). Another variant of the map is sometimes found on patriotic transferware jugs (including one offered here at Sotheby's, "Fine Books and Manuscripts," 16 July 2021, lot 50).

Wallis produced a second commemorative map of the United States, dated 3 April 1783, titled "The United States of America laid down from the best authorities, agreeable to the Peace of 1783" (Library of Congress, call number G3700 1783 .W3). The second revision's large size, greater detail, and wider availability, may help explain the rarity of the present map. Interestingly, the decorative cartouche on the April map matches the untitled map offered here almost identically, but the oval inset contains the map's title and is surmounted by a flag, the Stars and Stripes. This led British Museum catalogers to posit that the map offered here may have been cut from that larger plate. However, given the dates that Wallis engraved on his maps, as well as certain small inconsistencies in the engraved longitude lines and at the lower border, it is far more likely that Wallis inserted this smaller copperplate into the larger one and reworked it.

REFERENCES

Unrecorded, but other states and variants can be found in: Ashley Baynton-Williams, "Maps of the United States (1778–1800)," Mapforum.com, no. 1, maps 22 and 23; (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1865-0610-1143); (https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2021/fine-books-and-manuscripts-2/american-revolution-a-rare-transferware-jug; https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3700.ct000080/?r=0.504,0.608,0.254,0.152,0)