Bickerstaff's Books, Maps

First Published American Eclipse Map

A map of the eclipse of Feby. 12th in its passage across the United States. [appearing in] The American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge, for the Year 1831.

[Astronomy: Eclipse.]

Boston: Gray and Bowen. Map dimensions: 8 ½ x 8.”. Printed paper wraps; spine chipped and cracked; soiling, staining and rubbing. Internally sound but with frayed edges, chipping and occasional staining. Fair. Folded map remains bound in and is in very good condition. Item #3780

The American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge was a Boston-based almanac published for the years from 1830 through 1862. Sabin describes it as “a compendious annual register… well worthy of being preserved as a book of reference.” This is the second annual volume of the series.

The highlight of the volume is "A map of the eclipse of Feby. 12th in its passage across the United States" which delineates the path of the eclipse from Louisiana to Nova Scotia. The map, engraved by G. Boynton, is regarded as the first such map published in the United States. A discussion of the eclipse along with details of additional celestial phenomena for 1831 appear in “Preliminary Observations on the Astronomical Department” (pp. v-vii) signed by R(obert). T(reat). Paine. He was the grandson of Declaration of Independence signer Robert Treat Paine.

While a lawyer by profession, Paine the younger made astronomy and meteorology his life passion. As one of the founders of "The American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge," Paine clearly expressed that passion in the pages of the publication. Indeed, pages 4-26 are devoted to detailed calculations of the totality and duration of the February 12, 1831 eclipse along its path. And a “Catalogue of Eclipses of the Sun” from 1822 to 1900 is presented on pages 70-76. In addition, a full page plate depicting the appearance of the sun at two levels of totality of the eclipse appears at page 4. The map and accompanying material provide a wealth of information about the eclipse in an unexpected source.

References: Sabin, Dictionary of Books Relating to America (for the series): 1039. American Imprints: 78. Drake, Almanacs of the United States: 3971. OCLC Accession No: 198428059 and 1140074230 (7 locations). For information on the map: https://eclipse-maps.com/Eclipse-Maps/History/Pages/1801-1850.html.

[ICN 7786.].

Price: $300.00