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To the Officers of the Army and the Citizens of the United States. This Map of Upper and Lower Canada and United States Contiguous Constructed From the Manuscript Surveys of P. F. Tardieu.
Cheshire and New Haven, Connecticut, November 4th 1812. Engraving on laid paper, 13.625” x 18.375” plus margins. CONDITION: Good, reinforced on verso with Japanese tissue, manuscript strengthening and reinstatement to Thomas Kensett’s name at end of title, small loss to margin at upper left reinstated. The first state of this rare War of 1812 map, reflecting American territorial ambitions in Canada, and a fine example of early-nineteenth-century American mapmaking, co-produced by two noted engravers of the early republic. The map is additionally of interest for its detailed depiction of the Northwest Territory, being the first regional map to depict and identify Michigan Territory. Rumsey notes that “this is the only War of 1812 map in the Streeter sale.” Dedicated to the “Officers of the Army and Citizens of the United States,” this intriguing map presents an early aspirational look at the seat of the war from the American perspective. Between 1812 and 1814, the United States invaded Canada on several occasions, each attempt proving unsuccessful. Published shortly after the second of these invasions, at Queenston Heights (October 13th, 1812), the map depicts the border region between the two countries—the area surrounding the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. In Upper Canada (present-day Ontario), dozens of townships are demarcated and numbered, their names arranged by district in the map’s reference table, underscoring American designs on the region. The map further depicts settlements, rivers (with some of their widths noted), lakes, Indian tribes and villages, and forts. Also significant to the historical narrative is the map’s detailed depiction of the Northwest Territory, which encompassed Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Connecticut’s “Western Reserve,” reflecting American expansionism. Beginning in 1810, the region was the site of Tecumseh’s War—a conflict between the U.S. Army and a Native American confederacy led by Tecumseh—which was later subsumed into the broader War of 1812. The conflict followed the Northwest Indian War (1785–1795) in the same territory, which saw the United States expand its military presence and increased settler incursions. The U.S.-Canada border is shown in a bold dashed line, largely following the present-day border except for the contested border with “Main[e],” reflecting the American interpretation of the “line of demarkation” established by the 1783 Treaty of Paris. Areas in Canada not directly under British control are listed as “Unsurveyed Land,” “Immense Forest,” “Chippewa Hunting Ground,” or simply “Wilderness.” Longitude is provided in degrees west of Greenwich, and scale is shown. The title appears in the lower right, bearing the inscription of the “publicks most Obedient Servant,” Thomas Kensett. As identified by Winearls, this map is the first of five states of Kensett and Doolittle’s map based on the surveys of “P. F. Tardieu,” most likely Pierre Antoine-François Tardieu (1757–1822), a Paris-based engraver and publisher. A member of the Tardieu family of engravers, he followed after his similarly-named uncle Pierre-François Tardieu (1711–1771). Pierre Antoine-François signed his works as “P. F. Tardieu” in his early career, leading to some confusion with his uncle, before shifting to “P. A. F. Tardieu.” Winearls notes that “the map is in several states and appears to have been partially or completely re-engraved each time as the line patterns in the lakes vary on all states seen and there are many other variations.” This first state of the map “has wavy lines along the shores of the lakes and the boundary line is only partly drawn through the lakes; ‘unsurveyed’ land is noted in the Huron-Bruce co area.” Amos Doolittle (1754–1832) was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, where he learned the rudiments of engraving on metal while apprenticed to local silversmith Eliakim Hitchcock. After completing his apprenticeship, he moved to New Haven, likely in 1774 or early 1775. Soon after arriving, he joined the local militia and marched to Cambridge under the command of Benedict Arnold just a few days after the Battle of Lexington & Concord. Animated by patriotic fervor and sensing an opportunity, Doolittle visited the battlefield, likely in the company of artist Ralph Earl (1751–1801), who is thought to have made a series of sketches of the battle and its setting. Upon returning to New Haven, Doolittle made a set of four engravings based on Earl’s drawings, which he advertised in the Connecticut Journal for December 13th, 1775. These were Doolittle’s first engravings and would become the most iconic images of the Revolutionary War. Eventually establishing a shop where he sold his silverwork and miscellaneous items while developing his engraving business, Doolittle went on to engrave all manner of ephemera, a multitude of illustrations and maps for books, and numerous individually published prints and maps. The first map for separate publication that he engraved was William Blodget’s A Topographical Map of the State of Vermont (1789). Other important maps to his credit include Connecticut From the Best Authorities (ca. 1794), James Whitelaw’s A Correct Map of the State of Vermont (1796), Plan of New Haven (1812), and A Map of the United States and British Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada (1816). The latter map, like the map offered here, was engraved in concert with Thomas Kensett, a Cheshire, Connecticut engraver and publisher, who, along with his partner Dr. Charles Shelton, published numerous Doolittle-engraved maps and satirical prints. Thomas Kensett (1786–1829) was an English-born engraver and engineer. Prior to immigrating to the U.S., he was an engraver at Hampton Court Palace. After settling in New Haven, Kensett continued his work as a partner in the firm of the firm Shelton & Kensett, based in Cheshire, Conn., which produced the map presented here, additional North American regional maps, and Masonic aprons. In 1825, after moving to New York City, Kensett and his father-in-law secured an early American patent for the tin can, an innovation for which he is best-known today. REFERENCES: Winearls, Joan. Mapping Upper Canada 1780–1867, 38; O’Brien, Donald C. Amos Doolittle : Engraver of the New Republic, p. 37; Tooley’s Dictionary of Mapmakers, Vol. A–D, p. 380 & Vol. K–P, p. 17; “Thomas Kensett” at National Gallery of Art online.
Item #9403
Price: $12,500.00
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