![Sample our Information Science journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5940/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Communication-Studies.jpg"})
Abstract
This study, demonstrating that the annotations in many older atlases can provide evidence for unraveling intriguing and historically significant stories related to their provenance, is intended to encourage curators to recognize and preserve such annotations for future historical research. The study is based on the discovery of eight exceptional pre-1900 atlases in the collections of the Boston Public Library. These atlases are noteworthy because they contain prominent annotations or alterations (bookplates, owner’s signatures, acquisition stamps, explanatory notes, the addition or deletion of maps, or the combining of more than one title in the same binding). These clues helped unravel their history, determining who owned them, how they were used, and how the library acquired them. In addition to these exciting stories based on their hidden or unrecorded provenance, this paper serves as a case study of how major American cartographic collections acquired and built strong map and atlas collections during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. It also adds to a growing literature that looks at the “social life” or biography of cartographic materials, by addressing how they were used, following compilation, publication, and marketing.
Notes
1 This series, which was introduced by Ristow, was followed by articles on UCLA’s Clark Library [by Norman J.W. Thrower, no. 14 (1981): 18-22]; Huntington Library [by Carey S. Bliss, no. 15 (1981): 32-36]; John Carter Brown Library [by Thomas Adams, no. 16 (1981): 2-8]; James Ford Bell Library [by John Parker, no. 20 (1982), pp. 8-14]; Lilly Library [by Josiah Q. Bennet, no. 22 (1983), pp. 30-35]; Bancroft Library [by R. Philip Hoehn, no. 23 (1983), pp. 28-32]; Cartographic History Library at the University of Texas at Arlington [by Robert Sidney Martin, no. 25 (1983): 14-19]; Yale University Library [by Barbara McCorkle, no. 27 (1984), pp. 8-13]; Newberry Library [by Robert W. Karrow, Jr., no. 32 (1985), pp. 10-15]; New York Historical Society [by Larry E. Sullivan, no. 34 (1986), pp. 28-34]; William L. Clements Library [by David Bosse, no. 37 (1986), pp. 10-18]; New York Public Library [by Alice Hudson and Maud D. Cole, no. 43 (1988), pp. 2-10]; and Boston Athenaeum [by John Lannon, no. 63 (1993), pp. 2-7].
2 A brief introduction to the Adam’s library is found at: https://www.bpl.org/archival_post/adams-john-1735-1826-library/, while most of the books have been digitized and are available through Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/johnadamsBPL, both accessed November 5, 2020.
3 John Adams to Abigail Adams, Philadelphia, July 17, 1775, available at National Archives, Founders Online, see https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-01-02-0163, accessed November 18, 2020.
4 John Adams to Abigail Adams, Philadelphia, August 13, 1776, available at National Archives, Founders Online, see https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-02-02-0056, accessed November 18, 2020.
5 Filed as Adams 293.3, this volume consists of Geographiae libri octo Graeco-Latini (Amsterdam, 1605) and Parergon sive veteris geograpiae aliquot tabulae (Antwerp, 1595). A full catalog record of the former is available at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/929438075, accessed November 8, 2020. The second work is not included in this description.
6 The volume, known as the Adams Atlas, is filed as Adams 293.7. The full catalog record, listing all 22 maps in the first portion, Atlas Ameriquain Septentrional, is available at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/2680700075, accessed November 8, 2020. Unfortunately, this catalog record does not list the contents of the second part, Pilote Ameriquain Septentrional.
7 Claudii Ptolemaei Geographicae enarrationis libri octo (Strasbourg,1525). The entire atlas is reproduced on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/claudiiptolemaei00ptol, accessed November 8, 2020.
8 Digitized copy of this map is available at https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9g54xj68z, accessed November 8, 2020.
9 Digitized copy of this map is available at https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9g54xk065, accessed November 8, 2020.
10 Digitized copy of this map is available at https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9g54xk08q, accessed November 8, 2020.
11 Here Bradford is referring to a world map by Peter Apianus published in Ioannis Camertis Minoritani, artium, et sacrae theologiae doctoris, in C. Iulii Solini Polyistōra enarrationes additus eiusdem Camertis index, tum literarum ordine, tum rerum notabiliu[m] copia perco[m]modus studiosis (Vienna, 1520). BPL has a copy which is filed in the Rare Books Department as G.401.25 folio, but it has not been digitized.
12 Eighth Annual Report of the Trustees of the Public Library (Boston, 1860), p. 41, digital copy on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/annualreport185960bost/mode/2up, accessed November 8, 2020.
13 This title was issued by three different publishers in 1835: J.H. Wilkins & R.B. Carter; American Stationers’ Company; and William Ticknor in Boston, Wiley and Long in New York, and T.T. Ash in Philadelphia. Subsequent editions of his atlas were published as An Illustrated Atlas, Geographical, Statistical, and Historical of the United States and the Adjacent Countries (Boston, 1838), and A Universal Illustrated Atlas, Exhibiting a Geographical, Statistical, and Historical View of the World (Boston, 1846).
14 Hugh Murray, The Encyclopedia of Geography, Comprising a Complete Description of the Earth, Physical, Statistical, Civil, and Political. . . (Philadelphia: Carey, Lea and Blanchard, 1837), online at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/008588257, accessed November 9, 2020.
15 Boston Post (3/25/1887), p. 4 and Boston Evening Transcript (3/25/1887), p. 8.
16 A New Universal and Portable Atlas, Being a Collection of Maps of the World and Quarters, the Principal Empires, Kingdoms, and States, with Their Several Provinces and Subdivisions . . . (Edinburgh, [1798]). Full catalog record available at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/3259744075, accessed November 18, 2020.
17 The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Macedonians, and Grecians (Boston : Munroe & Francis, 1805), see: https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1577347075 ; and (Boston: Etheridge and Bliss; Charlestown: Etheridge, 1807-1809), see https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1577391075, both accessed November 18, 2020.
18 Emma Worcester Sargent and Charles Sprague Sargent, Epes Sargent of Gloucester and His Descendants (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1923), pp. 12-17.
19 See Grim and Pick, 2006, 76-77. Digital images are available for the World Map at: https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:x633f9693 and the East Indies map at: https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:9s161c318, both accessed November 12, 2020.
20 Bowditch also donated his book collection, consisting of 3,000 volumes to BPL, including for example Matthew Cary’s American Minor Atlas (Philadelphia, 1806), available on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/careysamericanmi00care/page/n1/mode/2up, accessed November 22, 2020.
21 Twenty-Second Annual Report of the Trustees of the Public Library (Boston, 1874), p. 47, digital copy on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/annualreport74bost/mode/2up, accessed November 12, 2020.
22 Georges-Louis Le Rouge, Remarques sur la navigation de terre-neuve à New-York afin d’eviter les courrants et les bas-fonds au sud de Nantuckett et du Banc de George (Paris, [1785]), online at https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:cj82m308h; and Thomas Pownall, A Map of the Middle British Colonies in North America: first published by Mr. Lewis Evans, of Philadelphia, in 1755 . . . (London, 1776), online at https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:cj82m310j, both accessed November 12, 2020.
23 David Bosse, “Lewis Evans,” and Louis DeVorsey, “Gulf Stream,” in Edney and Pedley, 2019, 401-02 and 592-95; see also Brückner, 2017, 30-33.
24 John Speed, A Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World, viz. Asia, Affica, Europe, America, with these kingdomes therin contained. . . together with all the provinces, counties, and shires, contained in that large theatre of Great Britaines empire (London. 1662). Catalog record, available at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/3245342075, accessed November 11, 2020.
25 John Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland (London: Henry Colburn, 1838), pp. 165-6. Alfoxton, itself, has an interesting history. During World War II, American troops and nurses were based there, and from 1797-1798, the poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy resided there. See Holford’s History: Alfoxton, online at https://sites.google.com/site/holfordhistorysociety/home/alfoxton, accessed November 11, 2020.
26 Benjamin Cutter and William Richard Cutter, A History of the Cutter Family of New England (Boston: David Clapp, 1871), p. 263.
27 Fifty-Sixth Annual Report of the Trustees of the Public Library of Boston, 1907-1908 (Boston, 1909), p. 32, reproduced on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/annualreport190708bost/, accessed November 11, 2020.
28 Antonio García Cubas, Atlas geográfico, estadistico é histórico de la república Mexicana (México: J.M. Fernandez de Lara, 1858), with catalog record at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/4516356075, accessed November 12, 2020.
29 Ronald E. Grim, “Introduction,” in A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress, vol. 9, Comprehensive Author List, compiled by Clara Egli LeGear (Washington, DC: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division, 1992), pp. xi-xiv.
30 Biographical Dictionary of the United States Congress/ Churchwell, William Montgomery (1826-1862), online at https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=C000393, accessed November 12, 2020.
31 Samuel de Champlain, Les voyages du sieur de Champlain Xaintongeois, capitaine ordinaire pour le roy, en la marine divisez en deux livres . . .(Paris, [1613]), catalog record available at https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1803389075, accessed November 23, 2020.
32 A brief introduction to the Barlow collection is found at https://www.bpl.org/archival_post/barlow-samuel-l-m-1826-1889-collection/. A fuller description of the Barlow purchase was published in the Boston Public Library Bulletin, vol. 9 (1890), pp. 206-208, online at https://archive.org/stream/bulletinofpublic9118bost#page/206/mode/2up. The sales catalog, annotated with prices paid by BPL, is available on Internet Archive at Catalogue of the American library of the late Samuel Latham Mitchill Barlow : Barlow, Samuel L. M. (Samuel Latham Mitchill), 1826-1889: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/catalogueofameri00barl/page/n5/mode/2up, all accessed November 23, 2020.
33 A digital image of the recovered map, Carte geographique de la Nouvelle Franse (Paris, 1613) is available at https://collections.leventhalmap.org/search/commonwealth:q524n3851, accessed November 23, 2020.
34 Eighth Annual Report of the Trustees of the Public Library (Boston, 1860), p. 7, digital copy on Internet Archive at https://archive.org/details/annualreport185960bost/mode/2up, accessed November 12, 2020.