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The Grandest American Chronographic Chart with Hand Color
An extremely rare 8-sheet American historical chart / time line, with a fascinating publication history.
Originally copyrighted in Illinois, but printed in Cincinnati, the chart stands among the earliest and grandest of large scale American printed works. If joined, this mammoth time line would be approximately 35 feet long. Its maker, Azel S. Lyman, a remarkable serial inventor and impresario, is perhaps best remembered as the inventor of one of the earliest fountain pens. Despite the grand nature of the project, Lyman seems to have sold the rights to a Philadelphia publisher in 1845, who produced a smaller and less grand version of the time line.
The American Antiquarian Society has a 11-page prospectus announcing Lyman's massive work, titled: Historical chart, presenting at one view, the history of the world from the earliest times to the present day. By Azel S. Lyman. Cincinnati: Printed at the Daily Atlas Office, East Third Street. Published by Thomas S. Butler, 215 Main Street, Cincinnati, O.). The prospectus included: Directions for cleaning the chart -- Historical chart -- Directions for using this chart.
Daniel Rosenberg and Anthony Grafton have showcased Lyman's Historical Chart in their facsinating book, Cartographies of Time (2010), which charts the history of graphic representations of time:
One of the most popular American charts was published in 1844 in Cincinnati by the prolific inventor Azel S. Lyman, whose patents included refrigerator boxes, pumps and engines, fountain pen nibs, milk concentrators, meat curing machines, and the Lyman-Haskell multi-charge gun, a large artillery piece manufactured for the U.S. Army in the 1880s... At thirty-six feet long, Lyman's chart, like his gun, was oversized and just passably functional. Generally, it borrowed from the older graphic vocabulary of Barbeu-Dubourg, blowing it up for easier reading... If big is the standard, Lyman's work certainly fares well. - Rosenberg and Grafton, page 169.
Entries on Spanish conquistadors reflect the Black Legend bias against Spaniards:
[15]19. CORTEZ, an unprincipled adventurer, at the head of a few hundred Spaniards from Cuba, lands in MEXICO, is received in great friendship by the unsuspecting mon- arch, Montezuma, who is soon after slain; and Mexico, with its immense treasures, falls under the power of these perfidious monsters, calling themselves Christians. Near a million of the inoffensive Mexicans are butchered.
[15]32. PIZARRO, at the head of three hundred Spaniards, subdues PERU, and takes the monarch prisoner; after an immense amount of gold, the price of his redemption, is paid by his subjects, he is cruelly murdered, and several hundred thousand of the simple natives slaughtered. The Spaniards then quarrel about the plunder-Alme gro is beheaded and Pizarro assassinated.
Azel S. Lyman married in Cincinnati in 1844.
A pastedown note in the title reads:
NOTICE.
The subscriber having purchased the exclusive right, to manufacture and publish Lyman's Historical Chart in the United States, West of the Alleghany Mountains, is now publishing a large edition, and is prepared to sell them on favorable terms. Application may be made, or letters addressed to
Thomas S. Butler
Cincinnati, O., June 1st, 1844.
Main Street.
The map was advertised for sale for the first time under Azel S. Lyman's name in the Buffalo Courier on June 13, 1844, and by the Nashville Republican Banner on August 9, 1844. The Baltimore Sun includes an advertisement on September 24, 1845, noting that the map was then being published by Jas. H. Doughty & Co. of Philadelphia.
An advertisement in the Tri-Weekly Nashville Union on October 4, 1844, read as follows:
HISTORICAL CHART, PRESENTING AT ONE VIEW THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY. BY AZEL S. LYMAN. Cincinnati, 1844.
This new and interesting work, published on three large connected and consecutive sheets, is almost invaluable to the historical and general reader. It affords a more convenient and ready reference to historical facts and dates, with the most perfect accuracy in both, than any similar work which has fallen under our observation. It has the accuracy, and almost as much matter in detail, as the large and popular historical Atlas of Le Sage; and is much more convenient in form. Being done up on rollers, on finely varnished sheets, with cloth backs, and highly finished and colored in the letter press, the set, besides their utility, form handsome parlour and library furniture. To reading rooms, and apartments devoted to reading and study—even to the reading of newspapers and periodicals—this chart, we apprehend, when its utility comes to be tested, will be found to be a most valuable acquisition. From its cheapness and convenience, we expect to see it brought into general use—even in families.
Specimen sets may be seen, and found for sale, at the Bookstore of Messrs. Billings & Son, Union Street, in this city.
The chart was advertised for sale in Charleston, Cincinnati, Alexandria until approximately September 1846.
Rarity
The chart is very rare.
We are unaware of any other examples offered for sale.
We note only the example at the University of Michigan.
Provenance
PBA Galleries, 2022.
