Cover: Map, United States with British & Spanish Possessions. / Melish, John / 1816

Cover: Map, United States with British & Spanish Possessions. Melish, John, 1816

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Full Title: (Covers to) Map of the United States with the contiguous British & Spanish Possessions Compiled from the latest & best Authorities By John Melish. Engraved by J. Vallance & H.S. Tanner. Entered ... 6th day of June 1816. Published by John Melish Philadelphia. (inset) West Indies.

Author: Melish, John

Date: 1816

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Full David Rumsey Map Collection Catalog Record:

Author: Melish, John

Date: 1816

Short Title: Cover: Map, United States with British & Spanish Possessions.

Publisher: Philadelphia: John Melish

Type: Covers

Object Height cm: 25

Object Width cm: 17

Country: United States

List No: 5168A

Series No: 1

Published In: Map of the United States with the contiguous British & Spanish Possessions Compiled from the latest & best Authorities By John Melish. Engraved by J. Vallance & H.S. Tanner. Entered ... 6th day of June 1816. Published by John Melish Philadelphia. (inset) West Indies.

Publication Author: Melish, John

Publication Date: 1816

Publication Reference: Martin/Ristow 24; Streeter 3798.

Publication Note: With insets of the West Indies and a Statistical Table. This map has the distinction of being the first large scale detailed map made in the U.S. that showed the entire country from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This copy is an early state of the first edition -this is Martin's third state of the first edition and Ristow's fourth state (Ristow discovered a town and trail added in Ohio - Adelphi - making for a sub state of Martin's third state). The first state was an incomplete proof copy, making this the second/third state of the completed copy. The differences between this and the first complete state are small: Mansfield, Wooster, and Adelphi (and a trail from Adelphi to Athens and Chillicothe) added in Ohio, and "Vevay or" added before "Swiss Vineyards" in southeastern Indiana. Martin and Ristow identify seven states of the 1816 edition. Melish published new editions in 1818 (five states), 1819 (two states), 1820 (eight states), 1822 (two states), and 1823 (one state) for a total of twenty five different issues. Notwithstanding the many issues, the map has become extremely rare. A book accompanied the map (though issued separately) titled "A Geographical Description of the United States..." (see our #2424). Outline color by state or territory. This copy is dissected into 40 sections, backed with linen, and edged in brown cloth. It folds with marbled end sheets into new blue cloth folding boards and slip case 24.5x16.5 with leather label on spine reading "Melish. Map Of The United States. 1816" in gold.

Publication List No: 5168.000

Publication Type: Case Map

Publication Maps: 1

Publication Height cm: 25

Publication Width cm: 17

Image No: 5168A

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