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From The First American Celestial Atlas
This celestial map appeared in Anthony Finley's rare American celestial atlas, which holds the distinction of being almost certainly the first American atlas featuring hand-colored astronomical charts. Finley's work reflects celestial positions and constellations as detailed in Johann Elert Bode's renowned Uranographia.
The celestial map prominently features several key constellations. Among them is Aquarius, the water bearer, one of the zodiac constellations, traditionally depicted as a man pouring water from an urn. It is positioned in a region of the sky known as the "Sea" due to its association with other water-related constellations. Capricornus, the sea-goat, also a zodiac constellation, appears nearby with its distinctive triangular shape. Often depicted as a creature with the front half of a goat and the tail of a fish, Capricornus holds significant astrological importance. Also included is Piscis Austrinus (often referred to as Piscis Notus), the southern fish, known for its bright star Fomalhaut, one of the most prominent stars in the southern hemisphere. The constellation is depicted as a fish drinking the water flowing from Aquarius. Each constellation is carefully detailed, reflecting both the mythological narratives and the precise astronomical knowledge of the time, enhancing the map’s historical and artistic value.
Rarity
The map is rare on the market. This is the first example we have offered for sale.
Anthony Finley (1784-1836) was an American map publisher. Little is known about his life. He is presumed to have been born in Philadelphia, where he also died. A publisher, Finley was also involved in several Philadelphia civic and professional societies such as the Philadelphia Apprentices’ Library. He may have been in business as early as 1809 and his first publication dates from ca. 1811.
His first maps also date from this year, with two maps in Daniel Edward Clarke’s Travels in Various Countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The first atlas published by Finley appeared in 1818, the Atlas classica, or, Select maps of ancient geography, both sacred and profane, for the use of colleges and schools in the United States. He is best known for his A New General Atlas Comprising a Complete Set of Maps (1824), which was a bestseller. There were two editions in 1824, with annual editions until 1834.
Finley was part of the first generation of American publishers who produced high quality, precise maps on American soil. He was in competition with other Philadelphia publishers, for example Henry S. Tanner. Finley’s A New American Atlas Designed Principally to Illustrate the Geography of the United States of America (1826) closely mirrors Tanner’s A New American Atlas Containing Maps of the Several States of the North American Union, with similar groupings of maps; the main difference is the smaller scale of Finley’s maps. Finley printed two editions of this atlas.
![Globi Coelestis In Tabulas Planas Redacti Pars I. . . [ Ursa Major, Camelopardius, Lynx S. Tigris, Cassiopea, Cepheus, Draco, and Ursa Minor ]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/71118.jpg)
![[The October, November, and December Sky -- Aquarius, Andromeda, Pisces, Pegasus, Aries, Phoenix, Grus, Lacerta, Triangle, etc.]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/82779.jpg)
