Martin Brückner - The Social Life of Maps in America, 1750-1860

Sources: Throughout the book, original map prices have been adjusted to their 2010 values using the following sources: John J. McCusker, How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Commodity Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (Worcester, Mass., 2001), 297373, and the online tools http://www.measuringworth.com/ppowerus/ and http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2002/rp02-044.pdf. If not listed in Appendix, prices reflect source materials cataloged here in chronological order that reference maps advertised in commercial venues but not in personal or institutional inventories: John Bowles, A Catalogue of Maps, Prints, Copy-Books... (London, 1753); William Dicey and Cluer Dicey, A Catalogue of Maps, Prints, Copy-Books, Drawing-Books... (London, 1754); Lewis Evanss prices, Pennsylvania Gazette (Philadelphia), Nov. 27, 1755; Howells prices, ibid., Jan. 9, July 31, 1793; Maps, Charts, and Plans, Published for, and Sold by Thomas Jefferys (London, 1763); Philip Freeman, Boston, September 30, 1766; on Monday, the 13th of October Next, Will Be Offered to Sale at a Store in Union-Street, Opposite to the Corn-Field, a Valuable Collection of Books, a Variety of Maps and Prints... (Boston, 1766); Robert Sayers New and Enlarged Catalogue for the Year MDCCLXVI of New, Useful, and Correct Maps (London, 1766); Robert Bell, A Catalogue of New and Old Books... (Boston, 1770); Garrat Noel and [Ebenezar] Hazard, Catalogue of Books... (New York, 1771); William Faden and Thomas Jefferys, A Catalogue of Modern and Correct Maps, Plans, and Charts (London, 1774); Robert Sayer and John Bennett, Sayer and Bennetts Enlarged Catalogue of New and Valuable Prints, in Sets, or Single; Also Useful and Correct Maps and Charts... (London, 1775); Robert Bell, A Catalogue of a Large Collection of New and Old Books... (Philadelphia, 1783); William McMurrays Map of the United-States, advertised in Pennsylvania Packet; or, The General Advertiser (Philadelphia), Aug. 14, 1783; Robert Sayers Catalogue of New and Interesting Prints... (London, 1786); Mathew Carey, Catalogue of Books, Pamphlets, Maps, and Prints (Philadelphia, 1795); Mathew Carey Accounts, microfilm, roll 1, nos. 2176, 2340, 2396, 2817, Library Company of Philadelphia; Melish, Prospectus of a Six Sheet Map of the United States... (Philadelphia, 1816), and Geographical Intelligence: The Following Geographical Works Have Been Published by John Melish, and Are for Sale, at the Price Annexed ([Philadelphia], 1818); Melish, A Catalogue of Maps and Geographical Works, Published and for Sale... (Philadelphia, 1822). For select maps, see the records reproduced by J. B. Harley, The Bankruptcy of Thomas Jefferys: An Episode in the Economic History of Eighteenth Century Map-Making, Imago Mundi, XX (1966), 35; David Bosse, The Boston Map Trade of the Eighteenth Century, in Alex Krieger, David Cobb, and Amy Turner, eds., Mapping Boston (Cambridge, 1999), 3839; Bosse, Maps in the Marketplace: Cartographic Vendors and Their Customers in Eighteenth-Century America, Cartographica, XLII (2007), 916; and Mary Sponberg Pedley, The Commerce of Cartography: Making and Marketing Maps in Eighteenth-Century France and England (Chicago, 2005), app. 5.

In Statement of Losses Sustained by John Melish, and the Means whereby He Became Insolvent, Insolvency Petitions and Bonds, 17901868, folder Common Pleas CourtInsolvencyJohn Melish, Sept. 25, 1821, term no. 158, Philadelphia City Archive.

STORE[ROOM] FURNITURE

3 brass lamps and 1 Glass dt.

2 desks

1 Tin reflector

3 writing tables1 Drawing dt.

2 Compters

3 Cases Drawers

2 Desk Stools

3 boards and 5 presses

2 Stoves

1 pair andirons tongs etc

1 bench

the shelving in front and back stores

PRINTING DEPARTM.

3 printing presses and apparatuses

1 jug varnish

3 stoves

1 paint stone and muller

1 Senew[?] Press

12 press cloths

3 ink rollers

1 copper kettle

pots and boxes for lye, troughs, tables, boards etc

1 grind stone

BINDING DEPT.

2 standing presses and 1 small press

1 cutting press and plow

28 pressing boards

10 boards for mounting maps

50 lb paste board

50 sheep skin

12 quires marble paper

131 trullens[?] boards

30 covers for portable maps

24 skins blue morocco

Polisher, burnisher, sheers etc

VARNISHING DEPT

3 Demijohns contg 6 Gall copol[?] Varnish

90 frames for mounting maps

12 boards for dt

Presses and table

2 straight edges

Stove, varnishing brushes etc

PAINTING DEPT.

1 stove

5 tables

8 chairs

1 large press

1 bureau

1 small chest drawers

Saucers colours brushes etc

A) On first sight, perhaps the most noticeable pattern is that between 1750 and 1860 map prices were always in flux but trended into two different directions. Looking at the linear approximation cutting across all the data, we discover that, with the exception of one-sheet maps, all other material map types reflect an increase in their relative value over time; or, to put this more simply, on average, two-sheet and larger maps became more expensive for consumersseemingly contradicting the impact of mechanization and mass production. In particular, six-sheet maps, valued around $150 to $200 dollars today, appear to have retained their status as high-end commodities, categorizing them with decorative furnishings, like mirrors and pictures, rather than the products of print media and communication technology.