Item 1 is the first map of the continental United States, Map of the United States with the Contiguous British and Spanish Possessions…by John Melish. This edition was published in 1820, the year Missouri and Maine entered the Union as a result of the Missouri Compromise. Missouri is shown with its original, straight-line western border. While states east of the Mississippi are now all broken out, the northwest beyond Missouri remains one large, undifferentiated space. However, while your eyes can't help but complete the image of the United States as it is today, a closer look reveals a large section is missing. This is pre-Mexican War, pre-Texas Revolution America, so that the Southwest, including everything from Texas to California, is still part of Mexico. $75,000.
Item 85 is a panoramic view of London, and while printed in 1629, it depicts the city in later Elizabethan times, around 1600. This is the London of Shakespeare, and among the structures depicted is the Globe Theater, where Shakespeare's plays were performed. The Thames River, filled with vessels of various types, divides the city. $6,000.
You can reach Martayan Lan at 212-308-0018 or info@martayanlan.com. Their website is www.martayanlan.com.
