| Thomas Pownall — A Topographical Description of Such Parts of North America as are Contained in the (Annexed) Map of the Middle British Colonies, &c in North America |
 |
A Topographical Description of Such Parts of North America as are Contained in the (Annexed) Map of the Middle British Colonies, &c in North America |
|
London: Printed for J. Almon, 1776., 1776. Folio (17 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches). Folding map by Lewis Evans, revised by Pownall, some outlines handcolored, mounted on linen (minor offsetting to the map, faint dampstaining to fore-edge of text). Modern half blue black morocco, green marbled boards, marbled endpapers, spine lettered gilt, top edges gilt (extremities rubbed, some surfacewear, spine faded to brown). Provenance: 20th-century bookplate of Graff; Charles J. Tanenbaum, Collection of American Cartography, purchased from Scribner's 1971. First edition, large paper copy. "There are copies on large paper (17 x 10 3/4 inches), and with the map colored. A republication of Evans's map and analysis of 1755, with improvements and additions. Governor Pownall says that "a pirated copy of Evans's map, was in a most audacious manner, published by Jeffreys, and falsely sold as Evans's map improved, by which that very laborious and ingenious, but poor man, was deprived of the benefit of his work. Owing to the ignorance of the engraver it can scarcely be called a copy, and, as respects the face of the country, might as well be a map of the moon." See "Monthly Review," LVII. 315. The appendix contains "Extracts from the Journal of Captain Harry Gordon, chief engineer in the Western Department in North America, who was sent from Fort Pitt on the River Ohio, down the said river, etc., to the Illinois, in 1766," and "Journal of Christopher Gist down the Ohio River in 1750." In 1779 the author prepared a new and enlarged edition for the press which was never printed. The new matter, introduced in manuscript, included the narrative of his travels in America, and an additional map of the southern colonies" (Sabin 64835). Buck, "Illinois" 28a; Howes P543; Streeter sale 2:826; Thomson, "Ohio" 940; Vail 651. |
|
|
|
