Benjamin Tanner
Map of the United States of America

Public Domain

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Engraver Benjamin Tanner(American, 1775–1848)American, 1775–1848

Cartographer John Melish (American, 1771–1822)American, 1771–1822

CultureAmerican

Titles

Map of the United States of America

Date1830

Printed inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

MediumEngraving with hand coloring on wove paper

DimensionsSheet: 17 1/2 × 21 1/2 in. (44.5 × 54.6 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, gift of the estate of Miss Ima Hogg

Object numberB.79.191

Not on view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

PRINTS

DescriptionCartographer John Melish was born in Scotland and lived in the West Indies before moving to the United States in 1806. By 1811, he had settled in Philadelphia. He is most remembered for creating an ambitious map of the United States in 1816, one of the first to show the country extending to the Pacific Ocean. This example was published after Melish’s death in 1822.
ProvenanceMiss Ima Hogg; Estate of Miss Ima Hogg, 1975; given to MFAH, 1979.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Inscribed upper right: No.[o superscript with period [.] underneath] 68
Inscribed below image, right: United States / of / AMERICA / Compiled from the latest & best Authorities / BY / JOHN MELISH / Engraved by B. Tanner

[no marks]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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