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1846 Mitchell Comparative Chart of the World's Mountains and Rivers
RiversMountains-mitchell-1846$350.00
Title
Lengths of the Principal Rivers in the World. Heights of the Principal Mountains in the World.
1846 (dated) 13.5 x 16.5 in (34.29 x 41.91 cm) 1 : 33500000
1846 (dated) 13.5 x 16.5 in (34.29 x 41.91 cm) 1 : 33500000
Description
This is the scarce 1846 Samuel Augustus Mitchell edition of H. S. Tanner's comparative mountains and rivers chart. This stunning center-weighted chart is a stylistic advance over earlier American comparative charts in that it incorporates both mountains and rivers on a single sheet.
This center-weighted comparative chart appeared in most versions of Mitchell's atlas until 1857 when the atlas rights were acquired by Charles Desilver. While visually striking, the center-weighted style was not widely adopted by other cartographers, likely because it fails to express context on a local level, thus diminishing the magnitude of smaller yet highly significant ranges (like the Andes or the Alps) in comparison to the majesty of the Himalayas. Most other mapmakers, including American mapmakers like A. J. Johnson, instead opted for the Darton-Bulla model, with mountains on the right, and rivers on the left.
It is worth noting that this was the first map in the atlas; thus, it often suffered from handling and environmental factors, making fine examples, as here, few and far between.
A Closer Look
The chart presents the world's mountains and rivers on a center-weighted model reminiscent of earlier comparative charts published by Anthony Finley (1784 - 1836). Tanner innovated over Finley by combining both rivers and mountains in a single chart - mountains on the bottom, rivers on the top. Here, Dhaulagiri is identified as the world's greatest mountain, at 26,262 feet (today, it is known to be the 7th tallest mountain at 26,795 feet or 8,167 meters). The Mississippi, at 4100 miles, is named the longest River - though here it is conflated with the Missouri River, so its true length (2,340 miles) is exaggerated. The chart also identifies prominent sights and natural wonders, ranging from high-altitude cities like Quito to natural wonders like Niagara Falls and architectural marvels like St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the Pyramids. At the center, the cartographer highlights the high-altitude 'Plain of Scangelu.' We can find no further references to 'Scangelu' anywhere, though it may be an odd transliteration of an archaic name for the Tibetan Plateau.This center-weighted comparative chart appeared in most versions of Mitchell's atlas until 1857 when the atlas rights were acquired by Charles Desilver. While visually striking, the center-weighted style was not widely adopted by other cartographers, likely because it fails to express context on a local level, thus diminishing the magnitude of smaller yet highly significant ranges (like the Andes or the Alps) in comparison to the majesty of the Himalayas. Most other mapmakers, including American mapmakers like A. J. Johnson, instead opted for the Darton-Bulla model, with mountains on the right, and rivers on the left.
It is worth noting that this was the first map in the atlas; thus, it often suffered from handling and environmental factors, making fine examples, as here, few and far between.
Publication History and Census
This map was published in 1846 in the first edition of Samuel Augustus Mitchell's New Universal Atlas. It was engraved by Francis Humphrys. Although the copyright below the map references Henry S. Tanner and is dated 1836, this map first appeared, as here, in the first issue of the first edition of Samuel Augustus Mitchell's New Universal Atlas. Mitchell had acquired the rights to the atlas from Carey and Hart in 1846, who had acquired them from Tanner in 1843. Importantly, in the course of changing hands, the atlas was converted from engraved steel or copper plates to lithographic stones. Mitchell issued the atlas in early 1846 with Tanner's name still on the maps.CartographerS
Samuel Augustus Mitchell (March 20, 1792 - December 20, 1868) began his map publishing career in the early 1830s. Mitchell was born in Bristol, Connecticut. He relocated to Philadelphia in 1821. Having worked as a school teacher and a geographical writer, Mitchell was frustrated with the low quality and inaccuracy of school texts of the period. His first maps were an attempt to rectify this problem. In the next 20 years Mitchell would become the most prominent American map publisher of the mid-19th century. Mitchell worked with prominent engravers J. H. Young, H. S. Tanner, and H. N. Burroughs before attaining the full copyright on his maps in 1847. In 1849 Mitchell either partnered with or sold his plates to Thomas, Cowperthwait and Company who continued to publish the Mitchell's Universal Atlas. By about 1856 most of the Mitchell plates and copyrights were acquired by Charles Desilver who continued to publish the maps, many with modified borders and color schemes, until Mitchell's son, Samuel Augustus Mitchell Junior, entered the picture. In 1859, S.A. Mitchell Jr. purchased most of the plates back from Desilver and introduced his own floral motif border. From 1860 on, he published his own editions of the New General Atlas. The younger Mitchell became as prominent as his father, publishing maps and atlases until 1887, when most of the copyrights were again sold and the Mitchell firm closed its doors for the final time. More by this mapmaker...
Henry Schenck Tanner (1786 - May 18, 1858) was one of the preeminent American map engravers and publishers of the early 19th century - what is considered to be the "Golden Age of American Map Publishing". Born in New York City but based in Philadelphia, Tanner's forty plus year career was almost entirely focused on cartographic work. His earliest map work appears in conjunction with another important map publisher, John Melish. Early in his career, Tanner partnered with his brother Benjamin, to engrave extensively for Melish as well as other Philadelphia publishers including Lucas Fielding (Baltimore), A. Bourne, Jason Torey, Samuel Harrison, and Samuel Lewis, among others. In 1818 Tanner convinced his fellow publishers and partners to finance the compilation of a New American Atlas. The atlas was sold by subscription and slowly emerged between 1819 and 1823. The New American Atlas, possibly the pinnacle of 19th century American cartography and was commended in its day as "one of the most splendid works of the kind ever executed in this country". It was subsequently republished in several updated editions until about 1839. Tanner had by this time become the most active and influential map publisher in the United States. Around 1832, recognizing the market for a less cost prohibitive atlas, Tanner began work on the smaller format New Universal Atlas. This popular and important atlas went through numerous editions before being bought out by Carey and Hart, and then, in 1846, by S. A. Mitchell, who would rise to become the preeminent publisher of the next generation. In addition to these important atlases, Tanner also issued numerous extremely important and influential travelers guides, state maps, wall maps, and pocket maps. He should not be confused with his brother, also an America map engraver, the New Yorker Benjamin Tanner. Learn More...
Francis Humphrys (1813 - May 14, 1854) was an Irish-American engraver active in the first half of the 19th century. Humphrys was born in Ireland and emigrated to the United States as a baby in 1816. In 1833, he married Elizabeth Sitler (1807 - 1890). He engraved the famous comparative mountains and rivers chart for Mitchell's Universel Atlas, but has little other attributed cartographic output. Most of his other work is associated with Philadelphia job printing for fashion periodicals. Learn More...
Source
Mitchell, S. Augustus, New Universal Atlas Containing Maps of the various Empires, Kingdoms, States and Republics of the World, (Philadelphia: S. Augustus Mitchell) 1846.
The New Universal Atlas is one of the great American atlases of the mid-19th century. Samuel Augustus Mitchell first issued the atlas in 1846 when he acquired the map plates and copyright for Tanner's New Universal Atlas from its publisher, Carey and Hart. The first transitional 1846 edition was published jointly with Carey and Hart, but a second edition was published in the same year with the Tanner imprint erased. This edition of the atlas also introduced the signature S. A. Mitchell green and pink color scheme. Most of the maps from the early editions of the atlas were engraved by H. N. Burroughs or C. S. Williams, often bearing their copyright. Burroughs maps also tended to have what map collector David Rumsey refers to as the 'Cary and Hart' borders, which featured a narrow vine motif. These borders were replaced, along with the Burroughs imprint, with the more traditional Mitchell strap work border used in the atlases until 1856. Mitchell published editions until late in 1850, when he sold the rights to Thomas, Cowperthwait and Company of Philadelphia. Under Cowperthwait, the atlases continued to be published and bear the Mitchell name until 1856, when the plates were again sold, this time to Charles Desilver. Desilver reworked the plates with new border art and a revised color scheme in the style of J. H. Colton. Desilver issued editions from 1857 to 1860, when the atlas was phased out in favor of Samuel Augustus Mitchell Jr.'s New General Atlas.
Condition
Excellent. Slight marginal soiling.
References
Rumsey 0537.001.