Mitchell's Reference & Distance map of the United States.

"Engraved folding wall map with large inset map of Texas, Oregon and California in lower right, several smaller inset maps of the Falls of Niagara, Northern Maine, Rochester, Albany, Washington, Charleston, and Florida on the perimeter (overall 56 x 71 in.; 142.5 x 179.6 cm), hand-colored in wash and outline, dissected in 36 sections and mounted on linen, engraving of an eagle on a seashell grasping an olive branch in his left talon and arrows in the right, flanked by the capitol at Washington and Philadelphia (attributed to William Mason), wide ornate vine border, green cloth selvage. BINDING/CONDITION: Marbled paper outer panels. Dampstained with traces of mold chiefly on the linen backing but occasionally affecting portions of the map, some sections separating from backing at corners, margins of several sections creased. (65B2C) FIRST PRINTING OF A LANDMARK MAP OF THE WEST AND THE FIRST TO INCLUDE AN INSET MAP OF TEXAS. This monumental wall map was produced by Mitchell the same year as his pocket size map of Texas, Oregon and California "[It is] an important map [depicting] the western political situation on the eve of the Mexican War. A composite map, it judiciously incorporated the recent work of Nicollet, Wilkes, Frémont, and Emory. Both the Oregon Trail and the 'Caravan route to Santa Fe' are included" (Schwartz & Ehrenberg). Wheat adds: "This map represents a great step forward [utilizing] the recent explorations that had bounded and determined the nature of the Great Basin. The Texas claim to a western boundary up to the Rio Grande is here shown, with the northern panhandle extending all the way to the 42nd parallel, following Emory's map of Texas" (Wheat). PROVENANCE: Evelyn and Eric P. Newman (sale, Leslie Hindman, 12 November 2018, Lot 89) REFERENCES: Rumsey 4308.000; Schwartz & Eherenberg, The Mapping of America, p. 276; Wheat, Mapping of the Transmississippi (1959) II:35, no. 520 (referring to the pocket map's "Accompaniement")".…