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Description

A large detailed map of America, published shortly after the Louisiana Purchase.

The map shows a massive elongated Russian America, retaining its incomplete northern coastline at the limits of contemporary explorations.

Excellent detail along the Northwest Coast of America, however the Cartography in California, Oregon and Utah clearly reflects the lack of information subsequently derived from the explorations of Humboldt, Pike, Lewis & Clark and Jedidiah Smith.

Classic depiction of Mexico and Upper California on the eve of Mexico's independence from Spain. Excellent detail in Canada, especially the unsettled western portions east of the Rocky Mountains. This is one of the more interesting pre-Lewis & Clark maps of the West, with some effort at the supposed course of the Missouri above the Mandan Villages, and some other conjectural watershed east of Puget Sound, but largely left blank, being one of the last commercial maps of the period not to provide exaggerated and unknown regions with bold (and inaccurate) claims.

Fascinating northern coastline for Alaska and Canada along the Northwest Passage (the Icy Sea).

John Cary Biography

John Cary (1755-1835) was a British cartographer and publisher best known for his clean engraving and distinct style which influenced the entire map industry. Born in Wiltshire, John was apprenticed to an engraver in London. He started his own business by 1782 and moved to several premises before settling at 86 St James’s Street in 1820.

Cary had several significant collaborations during his career. John Wallis and Cary diversified Cary’s business to include broader publishing projects. Brother William and John made globes together, while brother Francis participated in the company’s engraving work. Finally, geologist William Smith and Cary developed and sold geological maps, some of the first of their kind. The pair also produced a notable series of county maps starting in 1819. Cary’s atlases, of English counties and the world, were the standard texts of the early nineteenth century. He was appointed surveyor of roads to the General Post Office in 1794, which led to the New Itinerary, first published in 1798.  

John trained his son, George, in engraving and George and his other son, John Jr., took over the business in 1821. It was then known as G. and J. Cary and continued in trade until 1850. The firm’s materials were then acquired by George Frederick Cruchley and then Gall and Inglis. By the time John died in 1835, Cary was the authoritative name in private map publishing and his business was a leader in the field throughout the first half of the nineteenth century.