The rare first state of an important and in some ways groundbreaking map. The woodblock for this map was destroyed shortly after its publication in a fire in November of 1557, hence its rarity. The map was compiled by the great Venetian cartographer, Giacomo Gastaldi, and appeared in a three-volume... More
A beautiful example of a world map that appeared only in the second and final edition of Gerard and Cornelis De Jode’s Speculum Orbis Terrarum. It was engraved by the younger De Jode, Cornelis, in 1589 yet was not published in atlas form until 1593 after the elder De Jode’s... More
The first separate map of the Pacific in a strong example. “One of the most important maps that appeared in the Ortelius atlases ...” (Burden). With its two splendid cartouches and a well-detailed illustration of Magellan’s flagship, the Victoria, this is also one of the most beautifully engraved of Ortelius’... More
"In many respects this map is the first printed map of Alaska." (Verner) However, much of what is shown here is imaginary, since most of the area covered by the map had not yet been seen by Europeans. The map does extend to northern California, so in its southern portions... More
The now seldomly seen first state of an important, early Dutch map of North America. It one of the first Dutch atlas maps to show California as an island, preceded in this regard by only the Hondius world map of 1633. A note on the map recounting the story of... More
A beautiful example of one of the earliest, acquirable maps to focus on what is now the United States. The Jansson-Hondius was also one of the first Dutch atlas maps to show California as an island, preceded only by the Hondius world map of 1630. A note on the map... More
The rare first state of the map that set the standard for the mapping of the Western Hemisphere for the second half of the 17th century. "A map of importance ... it became the standard representation of North America for a number of years, [that was] copied by other Dutch... More
A scarce, attractively engraved map focusing on northeastern Russia and including part of Alaska. It appeared in M. Marbault’s Essai sur le commerce de Russie…, which is an account of Russian trade as well as a history of Russian explorations in the areas depicted on the map. Some of the... More
An early map by the prestigious French mapmaker to include an engraved borderline for the newly founded United States as agreed upon by the Treaty of Paris in 1783. Also, the map’s title was altered from earlier states to incorporate the name (in French) for the United States, Etats Unis... More
An overall fine copy of the North American volume (the fourth of six) of a landmark atlas in the history of mapmaking and containing an important depiction of the American West. “The atlas was distinctive in being printed by lithography…the first world atlas to be so produced.” (Woodward) One of... More
A beautiful example in full, vibrant, period color of a majestic, folding world map. A rare issue with very important updates. The map is an extraordinary compendium of oceanic exploration and contains voyage tracks from the 15th century to those contemporaneous with the map including those relating to polar and... More
Rare (one OCLC location), well-preserved whaling chart, presaging the opening of the Bering Strait and Sea of Okhotsk whale fisheries. When this chart was published in 1845, the American whaling industry was near its peak. However, by this time, the supply of sperm whales in the southern and mid Pacific... More
Parker's important map, here with the complete text of his narrative, was based on both personal observation and reports of the fur traders of the Hudson Bay Company and is considered a landmark in the mapping of the region. It provided an excellent depiction of the river systems and tribal... More
Rare, separately issued, folding map. Superb example of the first useful map of the California gold fields, produced specifically for the use of prospectors and miners. It is also the very first map to actually name Sutter’s Mill. It is readily apparent how this map and others like it that... More
The very rare, first edition of one G. W. Colton’s two American atlases; this edition does not appear in auction or map catalogue records. One of the primary attractions of this atlas is its urban cartography. In addition to full-page, quite well detailed plans of the major cities of the... More
![Two sheets: America West Cape Mendocino to Vancouver Id. from Cape Flattery southward... [and] America West Diego Bay to Cape Mendocino. BRITISH ADMIRALTY/ J., C. WALKER-engravers.](/pictures/thumb/10631.jpg?v=1508790994)
Scarce, finely engraved chart on two sheets of the entire west coast of the United States and including the southern portion of Vancouver Island. Each of the 27 coastal recognitions on the charts is delicately realized. These provided visual reference for the entry to the major bays and ports as... More
A beautiful, delicately colored example of this very scarce, sweeping and historically significant view of San Francisco as seen from Telegraph Hill facing to the south. It reveals that the vigorous young city already contained at this early date several, substantial stone structures, handsome Victorian-styled wooden homes, and many masted... More
A superb, scarce, very well-preserved, mid-19th century chart of San Francisco Bay and Harbor. Although a semi-official British chart, it was based on the survey of an American Naval officer, Lt. James Alden. Under the superintendence of Capt. Washington, the Admiralty office greatly increased its output and obtained surveys sources... More
The scarce first edition, in a fine, vibrant example. This map was an early iteration of what Wheat called "the great 'map of the Pacific states'" by William H. Knight published in 1863, also by the Bancroft firm. This map and its many offspring established Bancroft as "the greatest map... More
The first edition of the map that provided the definitive depiction of the United States at the conclusion of the Civil War. It would appear through the mid 1880’s in many, progressively updated editions. The map’s primary purpose was to record the progress of the surveys of the General Land... More
Very scarce. This was the only large-scale printed map of Washington during the territory period, and it is certainly one of the most visually appealing ever produced of this area. Its publication followed a period of remarkable growth, when the population of the Territory more than doubled between 1860 and... More
An excellent nautical chart covering the California coast from San Francisco to the southern tip of the Baja peninsula and including the adjoining coast of lower California and Mexico. Among the chart's 21 harbor insets are ones of Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Diego and a very large... More
Railroad companies were the driving force behind much settlement and investment in the American West and Northwest, and maps were a primary tool in this effort. So voluminous were the publications of railroads that it necessitated the formation of the National Railway Publication Company, which produced this map. This rare... More
A bright, vibrant example of a map of California and the western states by "the greatest map publisher of the Pacific Coast" (Wheat). The map descended from what Wheat called "the great 'map of the Pacific states'"--that of William H. Knight, published in 1863, also by the Bancroft firm. The... More
Scarce; separately published. A wonderfully detailed, panoramic view of the city seen from Nob Hill, with the ship-filled bay in the far background. Surrounding the primary view are 22 finely engraved vignettes depicting notable structures, lively streetscapes, and even a chaotic scene on a wharf featuring a brawl. The work... More