1835 Bradford Map of Northern Europe

This is an unusual 1835 map of Northern Europe by the important American mapmaker T. G. Bradford. It covers the southern portion of the European continent and includes Norway, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Denmark, United Kingdom, Ireland, Prussia, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Iceland is also included. Important cities, rivers, islands, mountains and a host of other topographical features are noted. Political and regional territories are color coded.

It shows the Austrian Empire at its height and the German Confederacy. During this time, The British Empire rose to its peak while the Ottoman Empire was declining. Poland is notable absent, having been absorbed and divided by neighboring Russia, Austria, and Prussia. Issued following the defeat of Napoleonic France and the Congress of Vienna, Europe was under a new peaceful balance of power, centered on the five most important powers (also referred to as the five 'Great Powers'): the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Prussia and the Austrian Empire. Alas, the 'peace' was but an illusion as the treaties ending the Napoleonic Era were inherently flawed. Old rivalries festered and nationalism, liberalism, revolution (industrial and otherwise) was once again on the rise throughout Europe.

The map was published as plate no. 104 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 test.  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.