New Universal Atlas Containing Maps of the various Empires, Kingdoms, States and Republics of the World. With a special Map of each of the United States, plans of Cities, &c. by Cowperthwait, Desilver & Butler - 1854: Comprehended in seventy five sheets and forming a series of One Hundred and Twenty Nine Maps, Plans and Sections

Philadelphia: Cowperthwait, Desilver & Butler, 1854. Hardcover. Very good. Frontispiece diagram of rivers and mountains, title page vignette, 76 p. of handcoloured maps. 74 p. are numbered but unnumbered maps of New York City and Philadelphia appear between maps 12 & 13 and 14 & 15 respectively. The two city maps are not listed in the the Table of Contents. Three double-page maps: USA, New York State, and Europe. Some pages have insets. All maps hand-coloured. Chromolithographed title page and table of contents. All colour still very bright. 45 cm. Rebound in new half leather with original marbled paper boards and cover label. Some edges repaired. Some faint dampstains to upper corners. Front label chipped. Pencil and coloured pencil marks on verso of maps, not affecting them. Occasional small tears, chips and spots. Faint inscription for W. R. Burrows, Albion, NY, Oct.1875 on front free endpaper.

A better-than-average copy of a rare atlas, the focus of which is primarily the United States. First published by Augustus Mitchell in 1846, after he acquired the rights to Henry Schenk Tanner's "New Universal Atlas" from Carey & Hart. Mitchell changed many of the maps, changed the copperplates to lithographs and issued the atlas at least once a year until 1850 when he sold the rights to Thomas, Cowperthwait & Company. Afterwards the rights were bought and sold several times, the atlas being published until at least 1860. The W. R. Burrows who owned the atlas in 1875 may have been a director of the Albion Bank.