Map of the United States of America, the British Provinces, Mexico, the West Indies and Central America with part of the New Granada and Venezuela. COLTON, J.H. MAPS - AMERICAS,North America

Original hand-coloured engraved map of the United States (87 x 107 cm) on wove paper dissected into 32 panels and backed onto linen, folding between original black cloth covers (split) with gilt title to upper portion. The map is framed with a decorative border of intertwining grape vines punctuated with vignettes of famous landmarks in the United States, engraved vignette of a bald eagle above title, inset map of the Atlantic Ocean showing the American and European ports and the routes of the ocean steamers. Spine perished from covers, some toning and scattered foxing to map, withal an attractive example of this impressive map. Beginning in 1849, J.H. Colton published 3 separately issued maps of the United States, the standard 1-sheet "pocket map edition," the 4-sheet "wall map" edition and this very are 2-sheet version, which was available either in sheets, pocket map format or dissected and laid on linen (as offered here). The three maps offered one of the most up to date and comprehensive views of the United States and most notably, the western portion of the United States, including those areas recently annexed by the United States following the conclusion of the Mexican War in 1846. This same map would be utilized until about 1860 and, among other notable appearances of the map, the 1854 edition would be bound in two sheets into Andriveau-Goujon's monumental Atlas Choix, a compilation of wall maps and other interesting maps published in Paris from about 1830 to 1880. The present map shows a massive California, Oregon Territory, Texas and Nebraska, predating the creation of the first round of smaller territories, which would include New Mexico, Utah, Washington and Kanzas Territories, each formed between 1850 and 1855. The Texas Stovepipe configuration is shown, but the color in southwestern Nebraska Territory (later to become Colorado) is no longer shaded to show the area as part of Texas. Indian Territory appears above Texas, unlike earlier editions. The elaborate grapevine borders, including 12 vignettes of various places of interest, including Willamette Falls in Oregon, the Capitol Building, an incomplete Washington Monument, Astoria Oregon, Mexicans catching cattle, and the Valley of Connecticut from Roanoke. The present example is the first 1850 edition. As noted in Streeter (describing the 1849 edition), the map shows 'El Dorado or Gold Region' along the Feather River and includes the Table of Distances. This example also includes of Fremont's route along the Humboldt River and other revisions in California, based upon Fremont. Cf. Rumsey 286, Streeter 3873 and 3874, Wheat, Maps (74).