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Other map pages:[ Locations | Map themes & related | Cartographers ]
[ Views of Pennsylvania | Maps of Pennsylvania Counties ]
One of the first recorded maps to show Pittsburgh, issued shortly after the French Fort Duquesne was taken over by the British. The French had constructed their fort in 1754 and were subsequently able to defend it against expeditions led by George Washington and General Edward Braddock. In 1758, a larger British force under General John Forbes caused the French to abandon their position, which the British then renamed Fort Pitt or Pittsburg. This map was one of the first cartographic representations of this episode, appearing in a London magazine as soon as word arrived from across the Atlantic. Illustrated magazines had made their appearance in Britain in 1731. These magazines, with such names as Gentleman's Magazine and The Grand Magazine, contained poetry, prose, and articles on events, fashions, personalities, and other items of the day that might be of interest to the English gentleman. One of their most popular and historically important features was the inclusion of prints and maps to accompany the articles. This map is an interesting and important example of their output.
It was based on a drawing by Braddock's aide-de-camp, Capt. William Orme, showing the region between Fort Cumberland and Fort Duquesne through which Braddock traveled during his unsuccessful campaign of 1755. The map includes a dotted line showing the march and stops of Braddock's expedition. In July 1758, the British sent another expedition against the French at Fort Duquesne, this led by Brigadier General John Forbes. Forbes had some initial setbacks, but persevered and proved much more successful than Braddock. Forbes held a council at Fort Bedford with the Indian tribes of western Pennsylvania, establishing peace between them and the British. When the French realized they would no longer have Indian allies, they quickly abandoned Fort Duquesne, destroying the fort as much as possible. On November 25, 1758, Forbes occupied the site, which he soon had rebuilt and renamed Fort Pitt, establishing British control of the upper Ohio Valley for the first time. This map, issued shortly after Forbes victorious campaign, shows the southeastern part of Pennsylvania into western Maryland, indicating the route taken to get to Fort Duquesne. This example includes the text on "Some Account of the first Establishment and Improtance of Fort du Quesne." Together the map and text form a fascinating, contemporary picture of this crucial aspect of the French & Indian War. $850
Nicholas Scull. "…Map of the improved Part of the Province of Pennsylvania…" Philadelphia: N. Scull, January 1, 1759. Separately issued "saddle-bag" map, dissected in 24 sections and mounted on linen. With original slip-case. 30 1/4 x 60. Engraving by James Turner. Early hand color. Excellent condition. Framed to museum standards with UV-filtering glazing.
A superb example of one of most important American made maps of the eighteenth century, the first map exclusively of the province of Pennsylvania. The map is the work of Nicholas Scull II, a cartographer and surveyor, who followed his father into the profession. In 1719, Nicholas became deputy surveyor of Philadelphia County, served as sheriff in the early 1740s and then ascended to the Surveyor Generalship of Pennsylvania in 1748. Most infamously, he was an official observer of the Walking Purchase of 1737 and offered testimony twenty years later at a hearing to determine the fairness of the procedure. Historians have speculated that this testimony, which favored proprietors Thomas and Richard Penn, is what earned Scull the funding for his seminal map of Pennsylvania.
Dedicated to the Penns, Scull's was the first map to document just the province of Pennsylvania, taking in the vast range of "improved" territory from the Delaware River to the Allegheny Mountains. Drawing on the reports of Major Joseph Shippen, Colonel John Armstrong, John Watson and others for cartographic information, Scull borrowed aesthetic elements from the work of Lewis Evans, whose style of pyramidal shaded mountain ranges appear in neat, single rows on Scull's map. Here, many features appear for the first time, including Indian paths and settlements as well as forts, iron forges, meetinghouses, inns, and gentleman's seats. Once he had finished drawing his seminal map, Scull, a founding member of Franklin's Junto, turned it over to another of Franklin's protégés, an engraver named James Turner. Turner completed the work in Philadelphia, making this the first map of Pennsylvania to be printed in America. Any map published in America in the mid-eighteenth century is rare, but especially "saddle-bag" maps like this one, intended for carrying around and using. In every sense, this scarce map represents an important moment in the history of cartography. $140,000
William Scull. "A Map of Pennsylvania..." London: Sayer & Bennett, 1775. 26 3/4 x 53. Engraving. Original color. Very good condition. Ristow, American Maps and Mapmakers, p. 53; Hansen, Pennsylvania Prints, Item 2.
A strong, attractive example of William Scull's seminal map of Pennsylvania, a map often referred to as the 'Revolutionary War map' of the state. The information depicted on the map is far and away the most comprehensive and accurate for any map of Pennsylvania to that date, and for years thereafter; a fact that in part reflects its history. In 1759, Nicolas Scull, the Surveyor General of Pennsylvania and William Scull's grandfather, issued a map of the eastern parts of Pennsylvania commissioned by the colony's government. This was based to a great extent upon Nicolas' surveys and other first hand information, making it the standard for all subsequent maps. About ten years later, William Scull produced an updated map of Pennsylvania, basing it upon his grandfather's map as well as on his own new surveys and other information. The first edition of this map, issued in small numbers, is extremely scarce and valuable. Five years later, Sayer and Bennett issued this further updated edition in Jefferys North American Atlas of 1775. $5,200
Joseph T. Scott. "Pennsylvania." From United States Gazetteer. Philadelphia: J. Scott, 1795. First state. 6 1/8 x 7 3/8. Engraving by J. Scott. With some old stains at bottom. Otherwise, very good condition. Wheat & Brun: 444
This is one of the earliest American maps of Pennsylvania, from the first American gazetteer. Joseph T. Scott, a Philadelphia engraver and publisher, issued his gazetteer during the early days of American cartography, and the maps of the individual states and territories are very good. Scott included much detail of rivers, counties, roads, and towns. This map of Pennsylvania, Scott's home state, was particularly detailed, showing many of the major sites, such as Pittsburgh and Fort Franklin, in the western part of the state. As an early example of American cartography and an fascinating document of Pennsylvania history, this is a gem. $350
Cyrus Harris "Pennsylvania/ Drawn from the Best Authorities." From Jedidiah Morse's The American Universal Geography. Boston: Thomas & Andrews, 1796. 7 3/4 x 13 1/8. Engraving by A. Doolittle. Light wash color. Good condition. Wheat & Brun: 446.
This map issued in Jedidiah Morse's Geography, one of the first American publications of its kind. Morse, the father of Samuel F.B. Morse, established himself in the 1780s as a producer of fine American maps. Amos Doolittle, the engraver, is one of the great names in patriotic publishing, especially during the Revolution. The map is of interest because of its early detail, but also the fact that the Erie triangle is shown as part of New York. Streams, portages, and other orographical information is shown. An excellent early American map. $350
George H.V. Collot. "Plan of the Town of Pittsburgh." From Georges H.V. Collot's A Voyages dans l'Amerique Septentrionale. Paris, [1796]-1826. 7 1/2 x 11. Engraving by Antoine Francois Tardieu. Lined with linen. Very good condition.
An important and rare map of Pittsburgh drawn in 1796, showing the nascent city and forts located at the conjunction of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers. The map was issued in General Georges Collot's, Voyages dans l'Amerique Septentrionale, which reported on his expedition through the interior of North America. This was taken at the instigation of the French Minister to the United States, Pierre Augustus Adet, who asked Collot to create "a minute detail of the political, commercial, and military state of the Western part" of the country. Adet was in general interested in the situation in America, but he supposedly also had plans to attack the Spanish in their possessions of Louisiana and Florida so Collot's survey was of military interest to the French as well. Collot traveled along the waterways leading from the Great Lakes to the mouth of the Mississippi, mapping and making drawings of the sites he passed. Collot's survey was the most detailed and accurate of the western interior of North America at that time, but because of political considerations Collot's account and plates, which were printed in 1805, were not issued until two decades later. Published in 1826, the journal--issued simultaneously in French and English editions--included an atlas of 36 maps and views. Interestingly, it is recorded that all but 100 of the English and 300 of the French volumes were deliberately destroyed just after the publication. Thus these important plates are extremely scarce, making them amongst the most sought after images of America. This map represents the earliest printed depiction of Pittsburgh with such detail. The ruins of the original Port Pitt are shown at the point, with the newer Fort Lafayette placed further up stream along the Allegheny. The street plan of Pittsburgh, with streets set up parallel to both rivers, is mapped out; the blocks along the Monongahela are shown well developed, with far fewer buildings indicated in the streets along the Allegheny. The hilly terrain further inland clearly depicted and a lettered key identifies various sites. Though published in 1824 to 1826, this map has its roots and history in the eighteenth century. $4,800
Go to Collot map of the upper Ohio River, including Pittsburgh
Samuel Lewis. "Pennsylvania." From A New and Elegant General Atlas by Aaron Arrowsmith and Samuel Lewis. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Petersburg and Norfolk, 1804. 8 x 9 5/8. Engraving by D. Fairman. Very good condition.
An excellent map from an early American atlas. The maps were the works of Aaron Arrowsmith, one of the foremost cartographers of his era, and Samuel Lewis, one of the leaders in the nascent American cartographic field. This map of Pennsylvania is a fine example of Lewis' output. Detail of the settlement in the state, along with topographical information is neatly portrayed. Roads and counties are also shown. A fine example of some of the best American cartography of the period. $175
Reading Howell. "A Map of the State of Pennsylvania." Philadelphia: Kimber & Conrad & Jonson & Warner, 1811. Separately issued map; dissected into 32 sections and mounted onto linen for folding. 21 1/2 x 34 1/4. Engraving by J. Vallance. Original outline color. With some staining. Sections lifting in a few places, but intact and overall very good condition.
A very rare, "saddle bag" map of Pennsylvania, from the first updated nineteenth century version of Howell's important map of Pennsylvania, initially issued in 1792. Howell had already begun to survey parts of Pennsylvania when, in 1790, he was commissioned by the state to compile an official map of the entire state. This resulted in his seminal map of 1792, a large map produced in four sheets, was the best map of Pennsylvania issued in the 18th century and the first map to correctly delineate its borders. Howell's map was reissued several times, as late as 1817, and it formed the basis for most maps of Pennsylvania in the early nineteenth century, for it was the best depiction of the state until Melish's large state map of 1822. At about the same time, Howell also issued a reduced version of his map, which was reissued twice again in the 18th century. In 1811, Howell produced an updated version of this reduced map, published by Kimber & Conrad & Jonson & Warner, which was slightly enlarged and much more detailed than the 18th century small map.
Howell's map was the first to show the full extent of Pennsylvania, with accurate state and county borders indicated. On this updated map from 1811, topography is precisely drawn, and roads, towns, and important buildings are carefully delineated. In the upper right corner is the dedication cartouche, nicely decorated with an agricultural motif. It states, "To The Governor and Legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania this Map is Respectfully inscribed by the Author." In the lower right is the title cartouche, surrounded by a vignette illustrating different aspects of the state and including the state crest. In the lower left is a fine drawing of the "Schuylkill permanent Bridge," no longer standing in 1811. This example of the map was issued so that it could be folded and carried. As such it is rarer than the standard version and also would have almost certainly have seen considerable use by its early owners. A rare and seminal document of Pennsylvania history. $5,200
Mathew Carey. "Pennsylvania." Philadelphia: M. Carey & son, 1814. 11 1/2 x 18 1/4. Engraving. Original outline color. Very good condition.
An important map of Pennsylvania by Mathew Carey, one of the seminal figures in early American Cartography. Published during the War of 1812, this map is from Carey's Atlas which represented the best American cartographic work of the period. Carey, an Irish immigrant, established the first American specialized cartographic publishing firm. He set up an elaborate cottage system of craftsmen for engraving, printing, and coloring his maps utilizing the best independent artists directed to a common end. Carey is important, then, not only for the excellent maps he produced, but for his setting the pattern for American map publishing, to be followed by the likes of John Melish and Henry S. Tanner. This map of Pennsylvania, Carey's home state, is a fine example of his work. Topographical information is neatly portrayed, including towns, rivers, mountains, and roads. The counties are named and indicated by light pastel coloring. Longitude is given both with a prime meridian at London and at Philadelphia. $825
"Pennsylvania." From A Complete Historical, Chronological, and Geographical American Atlas. Philadelphia: H.C. Carey & I. Lea, 1822-1825. 12 x 17 3/4 (map); 16 3/4 x 20 1/2 (full sheet). Very good condition.
In 1822, Henry Charles Carey and Isaac Lea published their 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. The sheets from this atlas are comprised of an engraved map surrounded by text documenting the history, climate, population and so forth of the area depicted. This map of Pennsylvania shows excellent and very up-to-date detail, with the river systems particularly well mapped, and the development of the state is graphically illustrated, with towns and roads depicted throughout the state. $575
Henry S. Tanner. "Map of Pennsylvania and New Jersey." From New American Atlas. Philadelphia: H.S. Tanner, 1823. 20 1/2 x 27. Engraving by "H.S. Tanner & Assistants." Full original color. Slight separation and foldover at centerfold. Non-acidic mending tape on verso. Else good condition.
An impressive and important American map of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. From Tanner's seminal American Atlas, which was a monument in the early history of American cartography. Its format and size and detail made it probably the first American made atlas to equal the work of the best European firms. The atlas was well received and this established Tanner in his subsequent position as the leading American cartographic publisher. The state maps, all but two showing two states on a sheet, are wonderful historic documents of an important and dynamic period of American history. Tanner used Washington D.C. as the prime meridian; as he explains in the introduction to the atlas, this was primarily because of a lack of an accepted European prime meridian. Each state is carefully mapped, using the most up-to-date information of physical features, towns, roads, trails, political boundaries, and other cultural details. This map of Pennsylvania and New Jersey is typical of the quality of the maps from the atlas. $1,450
Fielding Lucas, Jr. "Pennsylvania." From A General Atlas. Baltimore: F. Lucas, Jr., 1823. 11 1/4 x 17 3/4. Engraving. Full original hand color. Full margins. Very good condition.
An early map of Pennsylvania by Baltimore cartographer Fielding Lucas, Jr. (1781- 1854). Lucas appears to have become involved in the publishing and book trade while a resident of Philadelphia from 1798 to 1804, when he moved to Baltimore. In 1807 Lucas joined Conrad, Lucas & Co., and then in 1810 he set up his own business at 138 Market Street. In the second decade of the nineteenth century, through his Philadelphia contacts, Lucas was one of the major contributors to Carey & Lea's atlas of 1823. Concurrently with this involvement, Lucas brought out his own General Atlas, containing 104 maps of all parts of the world, engraved by B.T. Welch & Co. of Baltimore and Young & Delleker of Philadelphia. These maps are amongst his finest works, and they well demonstrate the quality that Lucas brought to this nascent industry. The map of Pennsylvania with its early date and interesting information, is a fine example of Lucas' work. The river systems in the state are well delineated, and the towns and road system are also shown with exacting detail. Beautifully engraved and colored, this is an excellent map of the state by an important American cartographer. $650
J. Yeager, sc. “Pennsylvania. Canals, Railroads, the Coal Regions, and Numberof Inhabitants in each County of the State.” Credit reads, “Engraved for the Casket Published by S. C. Atkinson.” Philadelphia: S.C. Atkinson, 1826-36. 8 1/4 x 11 1/4 (neat lines) plus margins. Engraving (hand colored). Printed on bank note paper. Former folds evident as issued. Conserved.
This small map of Pennsylvania is crammed with information on population of counties, distances by steamboats, topography, and political districts all surrounded by elegant borders provided by the famous engraver Joseph Yeager. The map once graced a monthly issue of The Casket: Flowers of Literature Wit and Sentiment (Philadelphia, 1826-36) that was published by Samuel C. Atkinson and Charles Alexander. Obviously a lesson in local geography was a necessary part of the education of polite society at the time. $275
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