Original antique map by John Cary, engraved in 1806 and published in his New Universal Atlas in 1808. With original hand colouring.
It was published shortly after the Louisiana Purchase, but while detailed in parts there is a lack of information apparent in the areas ofCalifornia, Oregon, and Utah as it is before the expeditions of Lewis & Clark and Jedidiah Smith amongst others.
Mexico and Upper California are shown prior to Mexico's independence from Spain, and Canada is well-detaile, especially the prairies east of the Rocky Mountains.
This is one of the more interesting pre-Lewis & Clark maps of the West, and was one of the last commercial maps of the period not to provide exaggerated and unknown regions with inaccurate details.
John Cary (1755–1835), was a prominent British cartographer and engraver. He published a wide range of highly accurate copper-engraved maps that became industry standards for their clean, un-ornamented style. These 1804 editions were largely prepared for his comprehensive New Universal Atlas, which was eventually issued in full in 1808.
Cary served his apprenticeship as an engraver in London, before setting up his own business in the Strand in 1783. He soon gained a reputation for his maps and globes. He published 'The New and Correct English Atlas' in 1787, which soon became a standard reference work in England.
In 1794 Cary was commissioned by the Postmaster General to survey England's roads. This resulted in Cary's 'New Itinerary', published in 1798, containing maps of all the major roads in England and Wales. He also produced Ordnance Survey maps prior to 1805.
Cary's New Universal Atlas, is a landmark of early 19th-century map making. It represented a shift from the decorative, artistic maps of the 18th century toward a more modern, scientific approach prioritising clarity, accuracy, and meticulous detail.
The 1808 edition featured 56 hand-coloured, engraved maps covering all major states and kingdoms worldwide, including highly detailed maps of England and Wales.
Cary replaced the "quaintness and charm" of older maps with a scientific rationality, using the latest surveying techniques to establish a standard that later influenced the Ordnance Survey.
The atlas was so popular it was reissued at least seven times over the next 30 years.
