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Cartobibliography of Pennsylvania Maps Prior to 1800

by John W. Docktor

This cartobibliography consists of two sections. The larger section consists of all the printed and manuscript maps of Pennsylvania created before 1800 that I could find in the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress. Furthermore maps categorized by the Division as historical maps, though drafted after 1800, are included if they show Pennsylvania as it was prior to 1800. Facsimiles and microfiches possessed by the Division of pre-1800 maps of Pennsylvania are included.

A smaller second section consists of unique maps of Pennsylvania created before 1800 that I located in other libraries. I tried to include maps which were not found in the collection at the Library of Congress. The additional libraries consulted were:

American Philosophical Society Library
105 S. Fifth Street
Philadelphia PA 19106-3386

British Library
96 Euston Road
London  NW1 2DB
England

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Williamsburg VA

Historical Society of Pennsylvania
1300 Locust Street
Philadelphia PA 19107

Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino CA

Maryland State Archives
350 Rowe Boulevard
Annapolis MD 21401

Newberry Library
60 West Walton Street
Chicago IL 60610

Pennsylvania State Archives
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
530 North Street
Harrisburg PA 17120

The map numbering system used in this cartobibliography is a modification of a system first used by Russell Morrison for the Huntington Map Collection. The size of the map is given in centimeters with the height first. Dates, when not printed on the map, are approximate or circa. A map scale is given when either a scale is printed on the map or a cataloger had calculated a scale. The Phillips numbers correspond to the entries in P. L. Phillips, A List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress, 4 volumes, Washington DC, 1909-20; and the updated entries in Clara E. Gear United States Atlases, A List of National, State, County, City, and Regional Atlases in the Library of Congress, 2 volumes, Washington DC, 1950-53.

Arbitrary decisions were made regarding what was categorized as a map of Pennsylvania. I included a map if Pennsylvania occupies approximately 20 percent or more of the surface area of the map. Therefore included is Lewis Evans' A Map of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and the three Delaware Counties, but not included is his A General Map of the Middle British Colonies.

I would like to thank the staff of the Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress for the hours of assistance given to me. They tirelessly retrieved hundreds of maps and atlases from the vaults, and provided many helpful suggestions.

Part 1: Maps in the Library of Congress

Part 2: Maps in Other Libraries

Copyright 2006 by John W. Docktor. All rights reserved.


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