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1814 Thomson Map of North and South America
America-t-1815$300.00
Title
America.
1814 18.5 x 20.5 in (46.99 x 52.07 cm)
1814 18.5 x 20.5 in (46.99 x 52.07 cm)
Description
This fascinating hand colored 1815 map by Edinburgh cartographer John Thomson depicts North and South America, parts of the South Pacific, and the western parts of Europe and Africa. Shows the political borders as they existed at the time. Numerous geographical error in the mapping of the western ad Northern parts of North America are indicative of the largely unexplored state of the region. Includes the mythological Aurora island west of the Falklands. Greenland connects to the arctic wastes. Texas is not labeled but the Mission de los Teajas, from which the name is derived, is noted. Magnificent size, beautiful color, and high detail make this one of the finest maps of the Americas to appear in the early 19th century. Worthy of note: his particular map comes from the rare unfolded edition of the Thomson's atlas, and this does not suffer from a disfiguring centerfold or glue discolorations. If you are considering the purchase of a Thomson's America, this is the one you want.
Cartographer
John Thomson (1777 - c. 1841) was a Scottish cartographer, publisher, and bookbinder active in Edinburgh during the early part of the 19th century. Thomson apprenticed under Edinburgh bookbinder Robert Alison. After his apprenticeship, he briefly went into business with Abraham Thomson. Later, the two parted ways, John Thomson segueing into maps and Abraham Thomson taking over the bookbinding portion of the business. Thomson is generally one of the leading publishers in the Edinburgh school of cartography, which flourished from roughly 1800 to 1830. Thomson and his contemporaries (Pinkerton and Cary) redefined European cartography by abandoning typical 18th-century decorative elements such as elaborate title cartouches and fantastic beasts in favor of detail and accuracy. Thomson's principle works include Thomson's New General Atlas, published from 1814 to 1821, the New Classical and Historical Atlas of 1829, and his 1830 Atlas of Scotland. The Atlas of Scotland, a work of groundbreaking detail and dedication, would eventually bankrupt the Thomson firm in 1830, at which time their plates were sequestered by the court. The firm partially recovered in the subsequent year, allowing Thomson to reclaim his printing plates in 1831, but filed again for bankruptcy in 1835, at which time most of his printing plates were sold to A. K. Johnston and Company. There is some suggestion that he continued to work as a bookbinder until 1841. Today, Thomson maps are becoming increasingly rare as they are highly admired for their impressive size, vivid hand coloration, and superb detail. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Fine or Perfect condition. Wide margins. Original platemark visible. Blank on verso.