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TANNER, Henry Schenck (1786-1858)
A New American Atlas containing Maps of the Several States of the North American Union
Philadelphia: H.S. Tanner, 1823. Folio (22 5/8 x 15 3/4 inches). Letterpress half-title, 1p. index and 18pp. text. Engraved title with vignette of the "First Landing of Columbus in the New World", 22 fine hand-coloured double-page engraved maps. Contemporary red half morocco, the flat spine divided into six compartments by double fillets, lettered in the second, the other compartments with repeat decoration of a single centrally-placed square arabesque tool, modern cloth box, morocco lettering-piece on spine.
A fine copy of the first collected edition of "the most distinguished atlas published in the United States during the engraving period." (Ristow), published at the start of the "Golden Age of American Cartography" (Ristow).
Tanner's New American Atlas contained the most accomplished series of maps of America that had yet appeared in an atlas. Of the greatest importance were the maps of American states. With the exception of the maps of New York State and Florida, these showed two or more states to each double-page map sheet. These maps were drawn up using a careful combination of original surveys and the best existing published sources.
The evident high cost of production meant that the publishers took the decision to issue the maps in five separate parts which were published from 1819 to 1823. A second revised edition appeared in 1825. The maps, all of which are carefully hand-coloured, include a world map, 4 maps of continents, a map of South America on two sheets, a map of North America on 4 sheets and 11 double-page maps of the various States.
Contemporary reviews were favourable: the New American Atlas "is decidedly one of the most splendid works of the kind ever executed in this country" (United States Gazette, September 1823). Never "has either America or Europe, produced a geographical description of the several States of the Union, so honorable to the Arts, and so creditable to the nation as Tanner's American Atlas." (National Advocate 25 August 1824). The most enthusiastic report came from the scholar Jared Sparks who wrote in the April 1824 issue of the North American Review that "as an American Atlas, we believe Mr. Tanner's work to hold a rank far above any other, which has been published."
Howes T29; Phillips 1374; cf. Ristow, 'Henry S. Tanner' in American Maps and Map Makers, chapter 13, p. 154, pp. 191-206; Rumsey p.334; Sabin 94319.
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#15373 $85,000.00 
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© 2002-2005 Donald A. Heald
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