1825 Virginia Maryland and Delaware
By: Henry Schenk Tanner
Date: 1825 (dated) Philadelphia
Dimensions: 21 x 29 inches (53.4 x 73.5 cm)
One of the finest early 19th century maps of Virginia (West Virginia) Maryland, and Delaware made at the end of an era of map making that utilized steel and copper engraved plates in the printing process. This map by Henry Schenk Tanner was published as part of his New American Atlas in 1825, out of Philadelphia, PA.
The map is color coded by county showing old roadways that connected all major and historically significant towns, including Jamestown, Richmond, Norfolk, Baltimore, Annapolis, Dover, Fredericksburg, Washington D.C., Harrisonburg, and Morgantown to name a few. The Appalachians are illustrated in hachure relief style which accentuates the long alpine ridges of the mountains.
The map provides interesting commentary on the mountains that reads as follows...
The principal mountains in the state of Virginia, known in their vicinity by various local names, such as "The Blue Ridge, Sideling Hill, Clinch Mountain" &c. are part of a great chain, which stretches through the United States in a South West direction from Maine to Alabama, to which generally the name of ALLEGHENY should be applied, and not to any particular ridge, as is the case in most maps.
Tanner's maps are prized among 19th century map collectors not only for their aesthetic appeal but for the quality of paper, printing, and coloring they exhibit as well. Such high standards for production would exist for a few more decades before thin paper and lithography would dominate in a world that demanded high output of map production with the need to continually update and change information on a yearly basis.
Condition: This map is in very fine condition with a minor break in the paper (near center) that has been reinforced on the verso. The map also shows signs of acid burn in the margins as a result of spending years held in non-archival matting. Otherwise the image quality and eye-appeal are superb with bold original coloring over a strong plate impression.
Inventory #12158
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