Colton's General Atlas,

One Hundred and Seventy Steel Plate Maps,

Accompanied by Descriptions Geographical, Statistical, and Historical

compiled by G. Woolworth Colton 

descriptions by Richard S. Fisher, M.D. 

New York:  J.H. Colton and Company, 1859 

Hardback is overall in GOOD+ condition.

• Brown covers, one quarter leatherbound in black, with gilt title. 
• Boards show some wear, smudges, scuffing, edgewear.  Corners are worn, frayed, with exposed board.  See photos.
• Spine has gilt text and is worn, with chipped, torn ends.  See photos.  
• Binding is fragile, with front board loose but attached, frontispiece detached.  See photos. 
• Pastedowns and feps have some light foxing, staining, edgewear.  
• Frontispiece, printed on recto, is present but detached.
• Maps are bright and clear, with hand coloring.  
• Interior is gently age-toned, exhibits marginal toning, some smudges, light edgewear, a couple closed tears, a crease to the title page, a few corners turned in.  See photos.  
• Inside pages are free of writing and intentional marks.
• Text block edges are marbled. 
• PS2026.0603

170 maps. 15 x 18 inches

1859 edition of Colton's General Atlas, with Descriptions.  Publisher's cloth with title stamped in gilt, black leather at corners and spine, with gilt ornament and text.  Imperial folio format, text block edges marbled, maps printed from steel plate engravings and hand colored.  Heavy boards show wear and exposure, with staining, scuffing, and wear to all edges.  All maps, on 102 sheets, are present, with the signature one-inch Colton border around each map.  Maps are generally Very Good; end papers show foxing, and frontis featuring a vignette of the Muses with the globe is detached, with staining and wear to the edges of the sheet.  Condition is overall Good Plus for this desirable, early imprint.

John Hutchins Colton (1800-1893) was one of the leading American cartographic publishers of the 19th century, buying copyrights to existing maps and overseeing their production.  His sons George W. (1827-1901) and Charles B. (1831-1916) joined their father in business, and the General Atlas here for sale was produced under the direction of George.  This atlas provides an encyclopaedic description of the world (statistics are from 1850), the maps accompanied by text compiled by  Richard S. Fisher.

Colton atlases, especially those from the late 1850’s, have become increasingly rare.  All maps were engraved by steel plates rather than by wax engraving which was the most common method used at this time, and they feature beautiful muted red, green, tan, pink, and yellow hand coloring.  The same year this atlas was published (1859), Colton was forced into bankruptcy, and the plates for this Atlas were bought by Johnson and Browning, who quickly produced several reprints.  This, however, is the Colton production and of higher quality. 

Title page bears the date 1859, under the imprint of J.H. Colton and Company, New York.

Please see photos. More photos available upon request.

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