1835 Bradford Comparative Map of the Principle Rivers and Distribution of Vegetables and Snow Levels

This is a fine 1835 comparative map by the important American mapmaker T. G. Bradford showing the comparative lengths of the principal rivers in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. A large inset in the top half of the map notes the comparative heights of mountains, snow level, and distribution of vegetation in each of the three zones (Frigid, Temperate and Torrid). The map details the world's great rivers in relative to one another and divided by continent. The rivers have been necessarily straightened to indicate their lengths. The Mississippi is considered, by far, to be the world's longest river. The length of the Nile is grossly underestimated - when this was made the source of the Nile had yet to be determined. The St. Lawrence River is drawn to include four of the five Great Lakes.

The map was published as plate no. 15 in Thomas G. Bradford's 1835 Comprehensive Atlas Geographical, Historical and Commercial.  Bradford's atlas, published in 1835 was an important work on many levels.  First, it was one of the first American atlases to follow an encyclopedic format, offering readers extensive geographical and statistical tables to supplement the maps themselves.  Second, it was published in Boston and influenced the city's rise as a publishing center later in the 19th century (at the time most publishing in the United States was restricted to New York and Philadelphia).  Third, this atlas was the first to contain a separate and specific map showing the Republic of Texas.  Fourth and finally, Bradford's atlas in some instances broke the Euro-centric mold regarding atlas production.  Among other things, Bradford focused his atlas on the Americas and abandoned the classical decoration common in European atlases in favor of a more informational and inherently American approach.

Bradford published this atlas in several editions and with various partners.  The first edition was published by William D. Ticktor and did not contain the iconic Republic of Texas map (although we have in fact seen Ticktor examples with a Texas map, suggesting, against conventional wisdom, that there may have been two Ticktor editions).  The second official edition, published in the same year by the American Stationers Company, was the first to contain the Republic of Texas map, which is based on Austin's map, with two pages of descriptive text.  A third edition was issued in 1836, also by American Stationers (though still dated 1835), and contained an unaltered Republic of Texas map with only a single page of descriptive text.  A fourth edition appeared later, possibly 1837, and included an updated and revised map of Texas that replaces the old Mexican land grants with new inchoate counties. The maps from this atlas are an important addition to any collection focusing on early American cartography and Republic of Texas cartography.

All maps in this atlas, though not specifically noted as such, were most likely engraved by G. W. Boynton of Boston, who also engraved most  of the maps for Bradford's later publication.