[ATLAS - AMERICA]

TANNER, HENRY S. A New American Atlas containing Maps of the Several States of the North American Union. Philadelphia: H.S. Tanner, 1823. First edition. Contemporary red calf spine and corners, gilt lettered and decorated, with marbled paper boards. 23 1/4 x 16 inches (59 x 40 cm); Half title, engraved title page with vignette, typographic index leaf, and 18 pp. of text, complete with 22 sheets of engraved maps as called for in the index, comprising 16 double page maps, one two sheet folded map, and one 4 sheet folded map, all with most likely original or publisher's hand coloring. The binding is worn, with losses at spine ends, corners bumped, boards rubbed and soiled, hinges cracked, but is holding soundly; the free endpapers, half title, and index leaves are badly creased, with tears, and a few losses, but they retain all printed text; the engraved title is spotted, unevenly toned, and dampstained; the text leaves are dampstained in the margins, with a few pale spots; the maps with occasional minor spotting, offsetting, soiling and marginal dampstaining, 11 are splitting along the central fold to varying degrees, from long splits almost entirely up the map to very short ones, some of the edges along the splits have been folded over and creased without losses to the maps, the 4-sheet map of North America with some offsetting, a few pale spots, minor soiling, and creasing in the margins, one short tear at bottom edge in the margin, one archivally closed 3 1/2 inch long tear at the top edge extending into an unexplored part of Canada, the linen reinforcing the central fold is lifting at the bottom; a few dried plant specimens and a worn 19th century French map are laid in; altogether, this is a rare, important, and complete 19th century American atlas, still in its contemporary binding, with lovely impressions of the hand-colored maps, in an almost entirely unsophisticated state, save for one closed tear.

The greatest American atlas of the nineteenth century, Tanner's New American Atlas is among the earliest comprehensive mappings of the United States to be produced by an American publisher or printed in America. Out of the few atlases published in the United States up until this point, Tanner's is the most remarkable, not only due to its size and careful, uniform conception, but also for its cartographic accuracy and the quality of its engraving. To draw his maps, Tanner used the best and most up-to-date source material combined with original surveys. For example, the large 4-sheet map of America incorporates information from Alexander Von Humboldt, Zebulon Pike, and Pedro Walker's maps, and shows the extent of the discoveries made by Lewis and Clark. This copy of the atlas, although worn, is complete in all parts and is in entirely original condition, untouched in its contemporary binding. The hand-coloring is very likely original or from the publisher, and the maps are in early states.

Due to the high cost of production, Tanner's atlas was initially sold by subscription, issued either in 5 parts (dated between 1818 and 1823) or 3 parts (dated between 1819 and 1823). In 1823, the collected edition, as found here, finally appeared with 18 pages of explanatory text and the engraved title page with a vignette showing Columbus' first landing. It was subsequently revised and reissued in 1825, 1833, and 1839, a testament to its usefulness and enduring popularity.

"Tanner prepared an atlas of maps of uniform size and scale depicting individual states or state groups based on the latest available state and Federal maps. A map of the United States from coast to coast was also included, which showed the four legendary rivers of the west, but with a qualifying statement doubting their existence. An accompanying memoir described in detail the source material used in the preparation of this work, which took 'nearly ten years of unremitted application and research'" (Schwartz and Ehrenberg, The Mapping of America, p. 251).

Howes T-29; Phillips 1374; Sabin 94319; Schwartz and Ehrenberg, p 251; Wheat Mapping the Transmississippi West 350; Rumsey 2589.014.