1859 "Map of the United States of America, the British Provinces, Mexico ..." by J. H. Colton

Presented is an 1859 “Map of the United States of America, the British Provinces, Mexico, the West Indies and Central America with Part of New Granada and Venezuela” by John Hutchinson Colton. First published in 1848, this map was updated in 1859 and shows the progress of the years since its earlier issues. The large hand-colored engraved case map depicts the United States in the mid-19th century, before the Civil War.  The map has an elaborate and decorative pictorial border, with scenes of the "US Capitol," "Entrance of a Port," "Mexicans Catching Wild Cattle," "Cathedral City of Mexico," "Willamette Falls, Oregon," "Astoria, Oregon," "Saratoga Lake, New York," "Valley of the Connecticut," as well as four monuments, inset into the border. The intertwined grapevine border is dotted with scenes of fishing, farming, and beautiful vistas across the top of the map. The bottom vignettes show ranching and shipping. A dramatic, emblematic title vignette features an American bald eagle, atop