New Inventory

A New Map of London And Its Environs, c. 1851

This color lithograph pocket map of mid-19th century London even in its title suggests the rapid growth of the city and the changes required to cope with population surges, public health, sanitation and ultimately increased demands for new burial sites. London sanitation up to 1847 was notable in its absence, the first year the map was published being also the year that the Ordinance of the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers required all waste to be carried out by sewers that led to the Thames. However, public sewer systems taking sewage out of London and not into the Thames was only...

Manuscript Daybook and Diary, 1865-1867 (round trip) from New York City , around Cape Horn to San Francisco, California; to Portland, Oregon; to British Columbia; and to Anadir (Siberia), Russia,

Author (anon.), an American carpenter hired onto the Expedition, sailing on the Bark Clara Bell, January 30, 1865 from New York to Siberia and returning safely November 12, 1867 to his home on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.  He does not sign his book.

Manuscript text and illustrations, primarily in pencil

Manuscript pagination pp.1-119 (outbound), pp.1-23 (return) with manuscript table of contents.

Highlights of 19th c. Manuscript Illustrations:

Full page drawing of  "Portland Origon" and environs with Mt. Hood (1865) where he visited Jan. 31, 1866; full  page sketch "the appearance of Cape Horn at 15 miles" (1865); a small profile of...

Lloyd's Topographical Railway Map of North America or the United States Continent in 1900 Projected by J.T. Lloyd

This visually dynamic 19th wall map is a projection of what J.T. Lloyd imagines the United States will look like in the year 1900. Some published narratives have misunderstood the publication date as 1900.  In fact, this 1873 edition is at least the third edition of Lloyd's futuristic map. Lloyd copyrighted the map in 1866, one year following the conclusion of the U.S. Civil War having even obtained an endorsement for the map face from Lt. Gen. Grant as to its accuracy. In the seven year interval from copyright to 1873 Lloyd published at least three editions of this map...

The CONSTITUTIONS OF THE SEVERAL INDEPENDENT STATES OF AMERICA. 1785 (Second American Edition)

Our distinctive copy of The Constitutions of the Several Independent States 1785  was owned by Baptist Pastor Hezekiah Smith (1737-1805), of the First Baptist Church of Haverhill, Massachusetts (1765-1805) whose American, 18th c. engraved armorial bookplate x/  is attached to the inside front cover. Hezekiah Smith also signs and dates his name in script "Hezekiah Smith's 1785". The book's front first free endpaper is signed "Rebecca Smith's 1805" and she is Hezekiah Smith's daughter (b. 1782) who appears to have inherited or been given her father's book in the year he died. Hezekiah Smith dates his ownership of the book...

Map of the Rocky Mountain Region Showing Forest Areas and Irrigation Ditches in 1885.

The purpose of this early U.S. Forestry Division map of the Rocky Mountain Area forests is to map the forests and early irrigation channels in the multi-state region including Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Part of Nevada as of 1885. The map shows the forests in bright green and a small veined network of canals off of major rivers are printed in red. Townships are shown on the map as well as the range grid. Mountains and plateaus are labeled and shown graphically but not including elevations.

The Native American tribes are shown on the 1885 map located...

Haro and Rosario Straits, Surveyed by Capt. G.H. Richards & The Officers of H.M.S. Plumper, 1858-9

This 19th c. English Admiralty chart, with corrections to 1865, documents the contested border through the Pacific Ocean straits on the North American West Coast between the United States and Canada, off of the coast of Washington State.  The geography and nautical location currently is known as the Haro Strait (Canada) and the Rosario Strait (United States). The chart has two seller's marks that add to its historical interest. The first seller's label in the form of a blue ink stamp on the front of the chart is of  "Charles Pace, Chronometer Maker" who relocated from London to San Francisco...

A Map of the Province of Pensilvania Drawn from the Best Authorities 1756

Printed for the London Magazine, this 18th c. map of the English Province of Pensilvania shows the Province  when "The Northern Boundary of Pensilvania is not yet settled" and regions belonging to Native Americans are identified, such as the Delawares, Nanticokes and Tuteloes.  English towns are located on the map indicated by a circle. The engraver's "Explanation" only has a symbol for Indian Towns, Roads and Trading Paths. Provincial boundaries are drawn with dotted lines.

The map has both a decorative cartouche and a vignette likely of the Delaware River showing a three-masted schooner and small sailboats , with views...

A Map of Virginia and Maryland, 1756

            This scarce 18th century map, A Map of Virginia and Maryland, 1756, was published in London in at least two editions, of which this is the first. It appeared in a book titled A Compendium of Authentic and Entertaining Voyages, vol. 3, p. 125 and is based on an earlier map by Fry & Jefferson of 1753.  Geographic features graphically dominate the map, with the "Blue Ridge Peaks" shown in relief graphically along with the Allagany Mountains. The "spring head" of the Patowmack River is labeled near "Lawrel Thickets" that must have been a considerable area to appear on...

Map of the Town of Ellsworth Hancock Co. Maine 1855

E.M. Woodford’s  rare, large scale, illustrated 1855 wall map of Ellsworth, the county seat of Hancock County, Maine, based on the 1854 survey of D.S. Osborn, captures Ellsworth as a thriving town near the height of its industrial strength in shipbuilding and manufacturing.  The detailed wall map of Ellsworth presents the civic and geographic character of the 55 year old town. Hancock County, a rural but resource rich region,  poured its resources into Ellsworth as the county seat for local consumption and export. Remarkably, in 1855 there are yet no railroads in Hancock County and much of this commerce was...

The Constitutions of the Several Independent States of America. 1781 (First Edition)

This  book is the rare 1781 first edition of The Constitutions of the Several Independent States of America that by Order of Congress dated December 29, 1780 1./ was printed in a limited edition of 200 by Francis Bailey 2./ of Philadelphia as government printer.3./ The book format is new to 18th c. American publishing 4./ this being the first use of a compendium format. The subject matter itself is exceptional, the first publication in book form of the founding documents of the United States of America. The Order to publish this book bespeaks the Continental Congress' understanding of the...

Map of Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut, 1837

This rare, 1837 edition of the Map of Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut maps each of these New England states by county outlined in red, town or city in contrasting colors and locates the numerous large factories in operation in these three New England states in the early phase of America's rapid industrialization. Although New York is not shown on the map, New York city is. The map states at the top just below "New Hampshire", "this Map in addition to the information usually found on the best Maps, contains the Factories, Churches, Academies, Banks. There are 1244 factories." Churches...

Mixed Pickles c. 1895

Mixed Pickles, an illustrated children's story book whose jar shaped cover shows wide eyed children's faces of those bottled in a pickle jar,  is a "novelty"  story book cut out in the shape of a pickle jar. The front cover shows the heads of the many children, the mixed pickles, inside the jar. The back cover is plain and contains only the book design No. 1071 and the publisher's information.  One author's name appears with the last story and that is R.K Mounsey. The awful confinement experienced by the children immediately grabs the viewer and these feelings are perhaps also...