1896 Educational Publishing Historical and Geographical Study Aid w/ Maps

An exceptional didactic tool consisting of 58 plates on 29 sheets, this is an 1896 Educational Publishing Company U.S. history and government study aid.

A Closer Look

Chromolithograph sheets, printed back to back and bound to a wooden roller cover topics from the Great Earthworks near Newark, Ohio, to Native American culture and a chronicle of Abraham Lincoln's presidency. Numerous maps describe major moments and themes in American history. One map follows American expansion from the Original Thirteen Colonies across the continent to the 1848 Mexican Cession and the 1853 Gadsden Purchase. It also marks the 1867 purchase of Alaska for $7,200,000. Another map traces the movements of American forces during the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783) and marks all major battles by name and date. A similar map does the same for battles and marches during the American Civil War (1861 - 1865). Other illustrations include diagrams visualizing the progression of historical events, such as the 'tree' that appears among the plates presented here.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This study aid was created and published by the Educational Publishing Company in 1896. This is the only known cataloged example. We have been unable to trace the Educational Publishing Company of Toledo, Ohio.