Johnson, A.J. “Johnson’s California, with Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.”

A.J. Johnson.  “Johnson’s California, with Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.” 

New York: Johnson & Ward, 1864.  17 1/4 x 24 1/4.  Lithograph.  Full original hand color.  Repaired tear into image at bottom.  Narrow margins right and bottom but sufficient for framing.  Few minor spots in margins and image as to be expected for Johnson maps.  Overall, very good condition.  A/A

An attractive and interesting map of the western part of the United States from A. J. Johnson’s mid-nineteenth century atlas of the world.  Johnson, who published out of New York City, was one of the leading cartographic publishers in the latter half of the century, producing popular atlases, geographies and so on.  This finely detailed map is an good example of Johnson’s output.  Johnson shows the Indian tribes, forts, trails, explorers routes, and the proposed railroad route.  The only difference in terms of outline of the states is the southern tip of Nevada being shown as part of Arizona.  In the 1860s, the American west was just opening to exploration and settlement, and this is an excellent picture of the region at the time.