John Tallis, Mexico, California and Texas, 1851

A Wonderful Map of the Southwest and Mexico from Tallis’ Celebrated

Illustrated Atlas and Modern History of the World

Offered here is an exceptional mapping of the American Southwest and Mexico featuring Texas in its Republic configuration, with its Northwestern corner reaching all the way into present day Wyoming. Bordering Texas to the west is a large region named New or Upper California, even though the state of the California was already in existence. A brightly colored area in yellow represents the newly discovered Gold Region of California, and follows the path of the R. Sacramento and the Rio San Joaquin. Depicted to the south is the Mexican border, which is shown in pre-Gadsden delineation, along with the notation of numerous Native American Tribes that inhabited the Southwest region. Mexico is shown with its counties outlined.

Tallis’ mapmaking was precise and highly detailed, but also illustrative as exemplified on this present map. The decorative border that frames this map incorporates images of native plants, vegetables, and fruits. Highly detailed inset illustrations appear throughout the map depicting the process of gold washing, the famous Mayan Ruins at Uxmal, Yucatan, along with views of Mexican rural life.

The maps produced by John Tallis represent a high point in nineteenth-century illustrated mapmaking. His collaboration with mapmaker John Rapkin and engraver J. Rogers produced maps of high quality and detail that proved very successful. John Tallis was the son of a publisher and printer who was also named John. He operated a printworks with his brother Frederick until 1850 as J. & F. Tallis, and then continued his publishing business as J. Tallis & Co. From London, he went on to establish agencies in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Cincinnati, and Baltimore.

Refs: Jonathan Potter, Antique Maps of the 19th Century World (New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1989) pp. 9–12; Phillips, 804, [71].; Rumsey 0466.072.