VERY RARE MAP OF EARLY UNITED STATES PRINTED ON CLOTH

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On offer is an incredibly scarce map of North America ("North America from the most authentic and latest surveys") dating to 1811 and printed on cloth in Glasgow, probably as a limited edition commemorating the Louisiana purchase. The map, published by R. Gray, is a copy of Robert Wilkinson's famous and rare map of 1804 -- the first to show the entire Louisiana territory as part of the United States.The only other example of this map I can find is in the David Rumsey collection of historic maps, and they suggest that the item was produced in very limited quantities. Click to see their copy .As Rumsey notes, Wilkinson's map has been simplified somewhat to allow for the limited resolution when printing on fabric. Still, the map gives a fascinating snapshot of America at the beginning of its expansionary period. "Franklin" is sandwiched between Tennessee and North Carolina, and Texas is labeled 'Tecas.' Indiana, Illinois and Ohio are described as "Western Territory" and Florida and New Mexico remain Spanish possessions. In the western reaches, California is labeled "New Albion" and the names of Indian tribes are scattered across the map. Attempts are made to show the topography of the region, but they are curiously awry -- a branch of the Rocky Mountains, for example, extends all the way into North Texas past w Dallas is now. The map read more

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