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1858 Walling Wall Map of Cape Cod, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard
CapeCod-walling-1858$8,500.00
Title
Map of the Counties of Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket Massachusetts.
1858 (dated) 65 x 60 in (165.1 x 152.4 cm) 1 : 63360
1858 (dated) 65 x 60 in (165.1 x 152.4 cm) 1 : 63360
Description
This is H. F. Walling's 1858 map of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, one of the largest and most decorative maps of this region to appear in the 19th century. The map encompasses from Buzzard Bay to Provincetown, embracing Barnstable, Dukes (Martha's Vineyard), and Nantucket counties. This was a map of exceptional significance to Walling since he was a Cape Codder himself, born and raised in Provincetown. The map thus is lavished with local detail at a density not present in most of his other work.
A Closer Look
The cartography is largely derived from the work of the U.S. Coast Survey, but has here been expanded considerably to accommodate local interest and wall map proportions. There are a whopping forty inset plans detailing towns. Large plans, such as Provincetown, Edgartown, Nantucket, and Holmes Hole, feature supplementary business directories. Individual properties with owners names are noted throughout. There are six inset vignettes illustrating local landmarks, as well as a ship in Buzzard Bay, underscoring regional nautical heritage.Publication History and Census
This map was engraved and copyrighted in 1858 by Henry Francis Walling. It was published by D. R. Smith of Boston. This map proved popular and is well represented institutionally if scarce on the market.Cartographer
Henry Francis Walling (June 11, 1825 - April 8, 1889) was an American civil engineer, cartographer, surveyor, and map publisher active from the middle to late 19th century. Walling was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He studied/worked at the Providence Athenaeum before discovering a talent for mathematics and surveying. Walling took a position with Samuel Barrett Cushing (1846 - 1888), a Providence-based civil engineer with whom he issued in 1846 a revision of James Steven's Topographical Map of the State of Rhode-Island. Walling established himself independently around 1850 and immediately began preparing a series of town plans focusing on Bristol County, near Providence. Buoyed by widespread interest in his plans, Walling expanded his operations to Massachusetts, where, by 1857, he had produced no less than 50 town plans. Apparently, Walling's business model involved a contract with town officials to produce a certain number of maps, after which he acquired the right to print and sell additional copies on his own account. This work eventually led to Walling's appointment as Massachusetts "Superintendent of the State Map", a designation that began appearing on his maps around 1855. While Walling's work focused heavily on city and county maps, he successfully published three scarce state maps: Maine, Vermont, and Rhode Island. In 1856, Walling relocated his headquarters to New York City, where he had better access to quality lithographers. The Civil War (1861 - 1865) proved difficult for Walling, and diminished sales may have forced him into a partnership with Ormando W. Gray, with whom he published numerous state, county, and national atlases in the 1860s and 1870s. Around 1880, Walling took a post with the U.S. Coast Survey, with whom he worked on various charts until requesting a transfer in 1883 to the newly formed U.S. Geological Survey. Walling remained with the Geological Survey until his untimely death of a heart attack in April 1889. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Good. Full professional restoration. Accompanied by original rollers.
References
OCLC 556515688. Boston Public Library, Leventhal Center, G3763.B3 1858 .W3.