David Rumsey Map Collection

Astronomical Recreations; Or Sketches of the Relative Positions And Mythological History Of The Constellations, 1824
Green, Jacob; Finley, Anthony, Philadelphia
Probably the first U.S. celestial atlas. Issued by Anthony Finley in the same year as his first terrestrial atlas, 1824, this was likely intended to accompany it, although it is never listed in Finley's catalog. The advertisement page states: "The plates have been faithfully reduced from those in the last edition of the magnificent Atlas of Bode, published in Germany a few years since..." View Atlas

American Atlas (Pocket Atlas), 1827
Finley, Anthony, Philadelphia
This is a pocket atlas version of Finley's American Atlas. The maps are printed on thin paper and folded into a red leather pocket case with "American Atlas" embossed on the flap. John Grigg of Philadelphia also issued this pocket atlas with his name on a red cover. View Atlas

Atlas Elementaire Simplifie De Geographie Ancienne Et Moderne, 1838
Soulier, E.; Andriveau-Goujon, J.. Paris
The maps are simplified somewhat, probably indicating that this was used for teaching in colleges and schools. In many cases the graphics on the maps are most unusual, and the style of engraving uses symbols and visualizations that are unique to this atlas. View Atlas

Special-Karte Der Vereinicten Staaten Von Nord-Amerika. von J. Calvin Smith, 1852
Smith, J. Calvin, Cassel (Germany)
The second revised German edition of Smith's large wall map of the United States, here bound as 16 separate sheets in an atlas (we have also digitally joined all 16 sheets into a composite image, shown on the left). The inset map of North America is titled "Uebersichts-Ka rte von Nord Amerika von J. Calvin Smith..." The map has been redrawn onto lithographic plates with a very slight change of scale (smaller). The only German used is in the titles and the references.  View Atlas

Colton's Illustrated Cabinet Atlas and Descriptive Geography. Maps by G. Woolworth Colton. Text by Richard Swainson Fisher, 1859
Colton, G.W.; Fisher, Richard Swainson, New York
This atlas is lavishly illustrated with hundreds of etchings on a wide range of geographical subjects, statistical tables, and smaller maps and plans. It is a smaller version of Colton's General Atlas, with regional maps. A one-time effort, not reissued. However, these maps are reused by Colton in some of his school atlases. The text by Fisher (minus the sections on the states and territories) is used later in Johnson's Family Atlas starting in 1861. This is a general physical geography text based on the Atlas of Milner and Petermann published in London. Overall the text is intended to be particularly readable.  View Atlas

We have also created a flip book version of this atlas at the Internet Archive.

Ice Atlas of the Northern Hemisphere, 1946
Hydrographic Office, U.S. Navy, Washington, D.C.
Published by the U.S. Navy in 1946, this atlas provides colored monthly maps detailing the extent and character of the ice for each principal region of the Northern Hemisphere known to have seasonal or permanent sea or lake ice. Also includes statistical tables. It is interesting to compare the extent of sea ice then with the diminishing extent today, as shown on the National Snow and Ice Data Center of the University of Colorado. View Atlas