Melish, John | Melish's War of 1812 atlas with contemporary military provenance

Property of Pine Tree Foundation of New York

Melish, John
A Military and Topographical Atlas of the United States; including the British Possessions & Florida. Philadelphia: G. Palmer, 1813

8vo (213 x 128 mm). 5 folding engraved maps by H. S. Tanner partially handcolored in outline, 3 engraved plans; text browned, maps with some minor fold separations and light offsetting. Original half red roan over marbled boards, spine gilt; corners bumper, extremities quite rubbed.

First edition, a near-fine copy. The maps depict the "Seat of War in North America," "Southern Section of the United States including the Floridas & Bahama Islands Shelving the Seat of War," "American Coast from Lynhaven Bay to Narraganset Bay," "Detroit River and Adjacent Country," and "Quebec and Adjacent Country." Melish's atlas was prepared for the War of 1812 and contains Army and Navy Registers.

REFERENCE
American Imprints 29143; Howes M492; Phillips, Atlases 1346; Sabin 47432; Streeter sale 1:81

PROVENANCE:
Joseph H. Reed, Captain U.S. Ordnance (signature on front blank dated 1814) — Pine Tree Foundation of New York (From the late 1960s until his death in 2009, Charles J. Tanenbaum was an enthusiastic collector of 18th-century American books and maps. He not only enjoyed these himself, but took special delight in sharing his knowledge about them with others, especially young people. At the end of his life, he created the Pine Tree Foundation, with the mission to support “bookish” projects with grants of varying amounts. The Foundation started operations in 2010, and since then has begun or contributed to a wide range of book-related initiatives. It supports pre-school and after-school literacy programs for K-12 students and has enabled the purchase of books for elementary-school libraries in underprivileged urban areas. It has also endowed several undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate fellowships, including one for book conservation and several for the study of bibliography. Our hope is that the three items for auction today will find special homes. All proceeds from their sale will be added to the Foundation’s endowment in order to keep alive Mr. Tanenbaum’s dream of spreading the love of books and knowledge to readers of all ages.)

Condition Report:
Condition as described in catalogue entry.