Antique Maps of Mexico
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L. Hebert. "Spanish Dominions In North America Northern Part." From Pinkerton's Modern Atlas. London: Cadell & Davies, 1811. 20 x 27 3/4. Engraving by Neele. Original outline color. Very good condition.

A graphic, large-scale map of New Spain from about the 22nd parallel in the south to the Great Salt Lake in the north, and including the Louisiana Territory shown to just south of the Missouri River. The rendering is based on Humboldt's map of the region (cf. above), though it is narrower in focus. The topography is shown with striking hachuring, emphasizing the mountains up the Rio Grande Valley to well past Santa Fe. The Louisiana Territory section documents the extensive network of rivers in this region. Detail is excellent with many lakes, rivers and numerous towns shown throughout, with the borders depicted for the Spanish Intendancies. Further data provided is indicated in the key to symbols, that lists "Provincial Council of the Mines," mines, farms, military posts, and "Station of Muleteers." $1,800

Mathew Carey. "Mexico or New Spain." Philadelphia: M. Carey, 1814. 17 5/8 x 15 5/8. Engraving. Original outline color. Very good condition.

An intriguing American map of Mexico. Published by Mathew Carey in 1814, during the War of 1812, this map is from Carey's Atlas which represented the best American cartographic work of the period. Mexico, or "New Spain" as such included not only present-day Mexico, but El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, all subject to the Spanish Crown. The northern boundary as shown here extended well north of Santa Fe, while the eastern border is located at the Sabine River-a boundary which was to moved west by the treaty accords following the 1819 War between Spain and the United States. By 1820 the provincial government under Augustin de Iturbide had revolted against the new liberal monarchy for fear of modernization. This was the beginning of a 60-year period defined by one internal rival struggling against the other that would end only with the second election of Porfirio Diaz in 1884. The southern end of the nation similarly reacted in their own, local interests forming the Central American nations of modern times. $850

Henry S. Tanner. "Map of a part of Mexico exhibiting the author's route from Vera Cruz to Mexico and thence Tampico." From Joel Roberts Poinsett's Notes on Mexico, Made in the Autumn of 1822. Philadelphia: Carey & Lea, 1824. 22 3/4 x 17 3/4. Engraving. Map trimmed to neatlines and with wear at edges, including two longer tears. Map professionally conserved and lined with rice paper. Images very good.

Joel Roberts Poinsett was the most influential American of the early nineteenth century with reference to Mexico. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1820, he interrupted his term to take a special mission to Mexico in 1822 and 1823, being the first American diplomatic envoy to this newly independent nation. In 1825, Poinsett became the first U.S. minister to Mexico, a post he held until 1829. An ardent supporter of a republican Mexico, Poinsett was popular and influential in Mexico at first, but soon his behavior led to the coining of the term "poinsettismo," to mean an intrusive and officious manner. Interestingly, Poinsett's name was used to create another term, for the poinsettia, which he brought to American from Mexico, was renamed in his honor. During his stay in Mexico, Poinsett kept a diary and made notes, which he published in 1824 as Notes on Mexico. This was the first detailed description of the country that was published in the United States and for the first time introduced our southern neighbor to most Americans. This map, drawn by Henry Schenk Tanner, was issued to illustrate the Notes, showing Poinsett's route from Vera Cruz, where he landed, to Mexico City, and then to Tampico. It was one of the first detailed mappings of the interior of Mexico published in this country. $300

Daniel Lizars. "Mexico & Guatimala." Edinburgh: D. Lizars, ca. 1826. 15 7/9 x 19 1/2. Engraving. Original hand color. A few light spots in margins. Else, fine condition.

A brightly colored map of Mexico and Central America by Daniel Lizars. New California is named in the top left, but little information is shown, while New Mexico is clearly indicated along the Rio Grande. The border between the United States and Mexico follows the Red River and then the coloring makes it dip down to follow the Rio Grande in what is today western Texas. There is a dotted line running north from the Red River, following the border as agreed with Spain in the Adam-Onís Treaty of 1819. As another edition of this map shows the region west of this line as belonging to Mexico, this might simply have been a mistake by the colorist. Detail includes topography, rivers, towns, intendencias, and a few roads, including one through present-day Texas to Nacogdoches. The only other settlements in Texas shown are San Antonio and Loredo. $975

J. Finlayson. "Mexico and Internal Provinces." Philadelphia: H.C. Carey & I. Lea, 1827. 15 x 14 1/2 (map); 16 3/4 x 20 1/2 (full sheet). Engraving by Young & Delleker. Full original hand color. Very good condition.

In 1822, Henry Charles Carey and Isaac Lea published their A Complete Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas. This volume was based on Emmanuel Las Cases' Atlas Historique of 1803, with updated maps and text modified by Carey, a political economist. He considered himself an American foil to John Stuart Mill and the London economists who were proclaimers of "the gloomy science" influenced by Ricardo and Malthus. Instead of preaching overpopulation and degeneration of the human species, Carey illustrated the nations of the western hemisphere through maps that showed an expanding region with ample promise of developing into lands of great new opportunity and growth. The sheets from this atlas, which cover North America, Central America, South America and the West Indies, are comprised of an engraved map surrounded by text documenting the history, climate, population and so forth of the area depicted. This map shows Mexico, including today's Texas, based upon "Humboldt's Map & other Documents." This refers to Alexander von Humboldt's "A Map of New Spain" from 1811, a seminal document in the history of the mapping of Mexico. It shows impressive detail of towns, rivers, lakes, some orography, roads and political divisions. Though a number of towns are indicated in modern-day Texas, little was known of this region at the time. In contrast, the central region of Mexico is comprehensively mapped. $650

Pierre Lapie. "Carte Des États-Unis Du Méxique." Paris: Eymery, Fruger & Co., 1829. 21 1/8 x 15 1/2. Engraving by Lallemand. Full color. Very good condition. With Lapie blind stamp. Inset map, "Carte du Guatemala."

A expertly produced map of Mexico from 1829. It was drawn by Pierre Lapie (1779-1851), who had an interesting history of survival. First he was Geographer to the King before the Revolution, then he survived the Revolution, became the Imperial Geographer during the Empire, and finally was once again Geographer to the King when this map was issued. The cartography shows Mexico with lots of topographical and political detail, but with sparse information in Upper California. Little was known of this area before Frémont's explorations, and the map contains the standard errors of the time, including a double rendering of the Great Salt Lake and rivers running from those lake to the Pacific Ocean at San Francisco Bay. $525

David H. Burr. "The United States of Mexico." From Universal Atlas. New York: D.H. Burr, Feb. 16, 1832. 12 1/2 x 10 1/4. Engraving by Illman & Pilbrow. Full original color. Some paper waviness. Otherwise, very good condition.

An excellent map of the southwestern part of North America, along with Central America, by David H. Burr, one of the most important American cartographers of the first part of the nineteenth century. Having studied under Simeon DeWitt, Burr produced the second state atlas issued in the United States, of New York in 1829. He was then appointed to be geographer for the U.S. Post Office and later geographer to the House of Representatives. This map shows Mexico three years before Texas broke off and just over a decade before it lost its entire northern section, becoming today's American southwest. Stephen F. Austin had received a grant to settle in Texas in 1823 and more and more Americans moved into the area until in 1830 the Mexican government forbade further emigration into Texas from the U.S. Relations between the Americans in Texas and Mexico deteriorated and in June 1832, just after this map was issued, the first fighting broke out at the Battle of Velasco. This map shows early settlements in Texas, including San Felippe de Austin, S. Antonio, la Trinity, Ft. del Altar, Espada, Lagunilla, Matagordia, Brazoria, and Nacadoches. The information in the inset map of South America ("Guatemala or the United Provinces of Central America") is also very good. $850

John Dower. "Mexico and Guatimala." From A New General Atlas of the World. London: Henry Teesdale & Co., 1835. 13 1/4 x 16 3/8. Engraving by J. Dower. Original outline color. Excellent condition.

A fine British map showing Mexico the year before Texas broke away and a decade before it lost "Upper or New California" as well. The map shows the typical superb craftsmanship of the British mapmakers, with clearly engraved, copious detail throughout Mexico. Only a few rivers and mountains are indicated in what was then the United States. In the current southwestern part of the United States, then part of Mexico, the information is quite good, showing rivers, Indian tribes, and some settlements. Of note is the geographic error of a double representation of the Great Salt Lake, as well as equally non-existent rivers running from these lakes to the Pacific. A nice picture of the geographic knowledge and mistakes of the period. $575

A. Le Sage. "Confederazione Messicana tratta dale ultime mappe di Humboldt e di Buchon per l'Atl. di A. Le Sale." Venice: Girolamo Tasso, 1835. 12 3/4 x 19. Engraving. Original color. Very good condition.

A map showing the settled areas of Mexico based by Le Sage from the work of Humboldt and Buchon and issued in an Italian atlas published by Girolamo Tasso. Topographical features, especially the mountains running up into "Nuovo Messico," are emphasized, and the Mexican regions are shown in contrasting colors, with major settlements indicated and named. Text panels, in Italian, giving a history and description of Mexico surround the map on the sides. $850