Antique Map of the United States with Alaska Inset by Ran McNally, 1899

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Published by Rand McNally in 1899, this antique map of the United States is the atlas's principal map of the … Read more Published by Rand McNally in 1899, this antique map of the United States is the atlas's principal map of the whole country, titled simply as the firm's "United States" and spread across pages 6 and 7, with an inset of Alaska in the lower left corner. Every state and territory is printed in its own pastel colour, from Washington and Maine at the two ends of the northern border down through Texas and Florida to the Gulf. Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory appear as distinct, unshaded blocks in the south-central plains, and Arizona and New Mexico are shown as territories rather than states, their colouring paler than the states around them: an accurate snapshot of the country's political geography in 1899. The Alaska inset is drawn at a small scale, with the Alexander Archipelago and the panhandle given more detail than the vast interior, only two years after the start of the Klondike gold rush had made the territory a subject of wide public interest. The Bahama Islands appear at the lower right edge, while the provinces and territories of the Dominion of Canada, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec among them, fill the northern third of the sheet in outline only, left uncoloured to set off the United States below the border. Scale bars in statute miles and kilometres sit in the lower right, beside the firm's copyright notice for the edition. Behind the sheet stands one of the great names of American map publishing. William Rand opened a printing business in Chicago in the 1850s, Andrew McNally joined him, and by the 1890s Rand McNally was one of the leading map publishers in the United States, with a reputation built on railroad and commercial maps kept current from issue to issue. The sheet is a colour lithograph, the outline printed in black and every colour printed over it rather than applied by hand. Once framed, this antique map of the United States makes a strong wall piece for a study, library or office, and it will appeal to collectors of American railroad and commercial cartography. The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light, even age toning, a few small spots in the margins and the original central fold as issued. Please review the images for further condition details. This is an original antique map, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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