Colton's Impressive General Atlas with 103 Maps

"Colton's General Atlas, Containing One Hundred and Seventy Steel Plate Maps and Plans, on One Hundred Imperial Folio Sheets...", Colton, Joseph Hutchins

Colton's massive single-volume General Atlas is considered by many to be the pinnacle of American cartography in the latter part of the 19th Century. It contains 103 steel-engraved maps, including 9 double-page maps, plus the frontispiece. It includes the desirable Territories of New Mexico and Utah depicting the region with the largest configurations of the Utah and New Mexico territories. Other important state maps featured in this atlas are the double-page edition of Kansas and Nebraska, which shows little development in the western reaches of each state; Washington & Oregon, which shows Washington Territory encompassing the region that would become Idaho; a nice double-page map of Texas; and California. A pair of fine city plans are the single-page, uncolored Environs of London and Environs of Paris. The frontispiece features four beautiful muses gathered around the globe in a classical allegorical engraving. The atlas is complete and sound with frontispiece, title page, list of maps, text and maps. Handsomely rebound in full navy leather with gilt titling on front cover; raised bands, gilt tooling and titling on spine; new endpapers.

This example also includes a bonus map: Johnson's United States, published by Johnson and Ward with a copyright date of 1864, tipped in at the end of the volume. This map shows a mostly evolved configuration in the western territories. Wyoming is formed but is identified in outline text only, and Arizona includes the southern tip of Nevada. Also included is a certificate of membership to Alpha Delta Sigma fraternity for William Dillon O'Shea from 1938, tipped in at the front of the volume. The fraternity was a national honor society sponsored by the American Advertising Federation.

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Condition: B+

The maps are in full contemporary color with very minor toning and occasional offsetting, spots of foxing, or soiling. The fore-edges of about 20 pages have been archivally reinforced with tissue due to some dampstaining and chipping. The double-page Colton map of the United States has an archivally repaired centerfold separation. The new covers have minor wear and the binding is tight.