Mapping the Peoples of the World from a Mid-19th-Century Perspective.
This rare and significant 19th-century Anglo-American ethnographic atlas was published in London and New York in 1851 by James Cowles Prichard. The atlas consists of six double-page, hand-colored maps of the continents and the Pacific. These maps were designed to complement Prichard's work "The Natural History of Man," first published in 1843, and provide a visual representation of the distribution of various races across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and Oceania.
Here is a brief description of each of the six maps based on the information provided in the explanatory note:
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Ethnographical Map of Asia: This map is partly based on Klaproth's map from his Sprach-Atlas and his work Asia Polyglotta. It has been updated with additional information, particularly in India, to include facts unknown during Klaproth's time.
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Ethnographical Map of Europe: This map is an entirely new construction, depicting the earliest known positions of major European races. It draws on the authorities cited in "The Natural History of Man" and the third volume of "Researches into the Physical History of Mankind."
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Ethnographical Map of Africa: This map is also an entirely new creation, showing the divisions of races in Africa. The authorities for these divisions can be found in "The Natural History of Man" and the second volume of "Researches into the Physical History of Mankind."
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Ethnographical Map of North America: This map is based on the best available map at the time, which was published by Albert Gallatin in his work on the aboriginal races of America. It includes additional information from sources such as Clavigero, Alexander Von Humboldt, and Dr. Scouler to fill in the areas beyond Gallatin's survey.
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Ethnographical Map of South America: This map is primarily a copy of the one published by M. d'Orbigny in his work on South American nations, which is frequently cited in "The Natural History of Man."
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Ethnographical Map of the Nations of the Great Ocean and Surrounding Countries: This new map has been constructed using numerous sources to depict the distribution of races in Oceania and the surrounding regions.
These six maps provide a comprehensive visual aid to understanding the distribution of various races throughout the world during the time they were created, offering invaluable insights into the study of human history.
Rarity
The first edition was published in 1843. This is the first issue of the second edition, published in 1851. There is a second issue of the second edition that was published in London in 1861.