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This book is one of many fine cartographic works issued by Jedediah Morse, the father of American geography. Although this book stands on its own, one of the subtitles states that it is "Designed as a Second volume, to the American Gazetteer," and as such it describes and illustrates all parts of the world outside the Western Hemisphere. Most of the interesting maps were engraved by Gridley, with one by A. Adams. $450
Jedediah Morse. The American Universal Geography . . .. 1 vol. of 2. Fourth edition. Octavo. Boston: Buckingham for Thomas & Andrews, 1805. [1]-[8]-[17]-864 with maps of World, North America and South America. Collates complete according to instructions to the binder and Sabin 50926. Maps browned but complete. Original full leather boards and spines, and with signature on front flyleaf of Henry Mayo of Burlington. Interior browning to text and maps, but readable. As found.
A fine copy of this standard work which seems to have been issued in more editions than have been counted by the bibliographers. This book, by the father of American geography, influenced more Americans in their geographical knowledge than any other in the first three decades of the republic. A fine, useful book. $325
Richard Brookes. Brookes's General Gazetteer Improved . . .. Octavo. Philadelphia: Jacob Johnson, 1806. John Bioren, Printer. Xvi, 399ll. 8 maps. Full leather with original leather label on spine. Rehinged. Ref.: Shaw-Shoemaker, 10038. Buck, 8. First American edition following the 12th. London edition. Walsh, p. 113 collates complete.
A fine and extensive early Philadelphia gazetteer by a British author with detailed folding maps engraved by William Ralph and William Kneass and are the following:
Jedidiah Morse. Geography Made Easy. 12 mo, Boston: Thomas & Andrews, May 1811. Sabin 50936 lists 11 editions between 1784 and 1820 with the sons Sidney and Edwards citing the 1820 as the 22nd. edition. Titlepage cites this as, "Fourteenth Edition, and Second in this New Abridgement." 2 maps as called for. [1]-viii, [13]-362, 1l. Browned with slight foxing through text; original boards and spine, rehinged.
Jedidiah Morse (1761-1826) enjoys the reputation as the father of American Geography, and he was very interested in geographical education in the early years of the New Nation. He saw this book as an abridgement of his American Universal Geography, which was a considerably larger, more complex, and expensive book. The roots of universal education in the United States were established in the late 1780s by the Articles of Confederation, and Morse was aware of this patriotic necessity. This book was designed for use in the schools and thus abbreviated the amount of information required. His two fold out maps, a double hemisphere of the World and one of North America, were also published by Thomas & Andrews of Boston. Here is a picture of the world as seen by school children in the first decades of our national existence. $325
Richard Brookes. Brookes's General Gazetteer Improved . . .. Octavo. Philadelphia and Richmond: Johnson & Warner, 1812. [I]-xvi., unnumbered leaves of text plus appendix. 10 maps of 11. Map of the world frontispiece lacking. Text is browned, but readable. Maps lighter but spotted. Full leather with original leather label on spine. Hinges fragile. Ref.: Shaw-Shoemaker, 24939. Buck, 8. Second American edition following the 12th. London edition. Walsh, p. 148 collates complete. Very scarce: not in Sabin or Howes.
A fine and extensive early Philadelphia gazetteer by a British author with detailed folding maps engraved by William Ralph and William Kneass and are the following: "Africa" after Arrowsmith, "North America" from Arrowsmith, "South America" after Malespina, "Asia" from Arrowsmith, "Europe" after Arrowsmith, "West Indies," "The Southern States and Mississippi Territory," "The Middle States and Western Territories . . . including the Seat of the Western War. 1812," "The Northwestern Territories of the United States," and "The Eastern States with Part of Canada." Chaos on the eastern seaboard due to the War of 1812 would have made this publication scarce from the start, and the last four maps are fascinating, important and very unusual. $1,500
Joseph Emerson Worcester. A Gazetteer of the United States. Andover: Flagg and Gould, 1818. Octavo. Full leather; bumped, scraped and ex libris. Could be refurbished. Interior is fine. Sabin: 105236.
One of many geographical studies done in the U.S. in the early years of the Republic. $85
William Darby. Darby's Edition of Brookes' Universal Gazetteer . . .to which are added the Constitution of the United States and the Constitutions of the Respective States . . .. 3rd. American edition . . .. Philadelphia: Bennett & Walton, 1823. [I]-viii, 9-1119; [1]-133, + index. Original full leather binding with gold stamped label on spine. As found. Interior with pages ranging from immaculate to very brown (depending on the gathering) and some with spotting. The massive text is all readable, and the constitutions of the twenty five states plus national government are a fine addition. The frontispiece is a superb and early map by Henry S. Tanner:
"A Map of the United States, of America; by H.S. Tanner." From William Darby's Universal Gazetteer. 15 1/4 x 12 1/2. Engraving by H.S. Tanner. Full original hand color. "Engraved by H.S. Tanner. Full original hand color. A few minor separations at the folds, a few spots, and slight wrinkling at bottom right. Else fine.
Excellent map and "Brookes' Gazetteer"--spine title. $475
Thomas Baldwin and J. Thomas, M.D. A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States; Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co., 1854. Quarto. Original leather binding. With Wellington Williams "A New Map of the United States upon which are delineated its vast works of internal communications, Routes across the Continent &c. Showing Also Canada and the Island Of Cuba." Collates complete, 1364 pages with map by W(ellington) Williams, which is complete, bright and fragile at folds. Sabin 2924.
A nice example of the Lippincott, Grambo & Co.'s Gazetteer of 1854. This volume includes entries for an impressive number of American geographical features. The appendixes include tables of various religions and churches, American agriculture, and colleges and schools. Inserted in the volume is a bright and highly detailed map of the United States.
The map shows the country from the Atlantic Ocean to the middle of Texas and the Nebraska Territory, with an inset of the western parts of the United States entitled "Map of California, Oregon, New Mexico, Utah &c." The map is impressively detailed, showing roads, canals, and railroad lines throughout the country. Even though the inset of the western parts is on a reduced scale, it is praised by Carl Wheat for its "much up-to-date information" from Frémont, Marcy, Wilkes, Emory, Abert, Johnston, Simpson, Whiting and others. The map also contains three other insets, one of Cuba, one of the city and harbor of Havana, and the last showing the Niagara peninsula. 1853-54 was a time of considerable change in the country and one cannot find a better snap-shot of the United States than this book and map.
Born in Downingtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Thomas Baldwin (1807-1887) was a Philadelphia school teacher and cartographer. His cousin, Joseph Thomas (b. Cayuga County, New York 1811 - d. Philadelphia 1891), was educated at Yale and Rensselaer Polytechnic, practiced medicine in Philadelphia, and taught Latin and Greek at Haverford College. The Quaker cousins collaborated on this book, as well as on several editions of a "pronouncing" gazetteer. Dr. Thomas also published a medical dictionary and a pronouncing dictionary of biography and mythology. $650
J. Calvin Smith. Harper's Statistical Gazetteer of the World. Particularly Describing the United States of America, Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. New York: Harper & Brother, 1855. Folding maps for J.C. Smith & Son by D. McLellan. 1952 pp. Half leather binding. Marbled page ends. Seven folded fragile maps. Each measures ca. 16 x 18.
Complete with seven folding maps on tissue:
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