Mexico

Code: 53516

Date:1871

Lithograph with original hand colouring. Overall sheet size: 43cms x 35.7cms.   On verso is text describing the Republic of Mexico.  Inset of Territory and Isthmus of Tehuantepec.  Highly decorative border.  The map depicts forts, rivers, railroads etc. .   The hand colouring is in Colton’s recognizable pink and greens depicts various state and territorial boundaries. Slight toning to margins and waterstaining in bottom left  else good condition. Dated 1854 in the plate.

George Woolworth Colton (1827 - 1901) was the son of Joseph Hutchins Colton (July 5, 1800 - July 29, 1893) who was an important American map and atlas publisher operating between 1833 to 1897. JH Colton recognized a gap in the market and published guides for immigrants and updated maps with decorative borders after purchasing the copyright from cartographers such as David H. Burr. His two sons worked in the business with him on the vast output of railroad maps, guides and several atlases.  The non payment of the fee from Bolivia for a large quantity of maps of the country was financially disastrous for the company.  The maps are characterised by their decorative spiral borders and  vibrant contemporary hand colouring.