- Title: North America
- Author: Benjamin Baker
- Date: c.1800
- Condition: Very Good - Even age toning throughout, with a crisp plate mark. Margins exhibit minimal staining.
- Inches: 8 x 9 3/4 [Image]
- Centimeters: 20.32 x 24.76 [Image]
- Product ID: 308610
This finely engraved map of North America was produced by Benjamin Baker of Islington around 1800, showcasing the continent with delicate hand-coloring and a distinctive yellow-and-red checkered border. It reflects early 19th-century geographic knowledge, with detailed eastern settlements and a largely unmapped west, predating the major discoveries of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Background on Creator
Benjamin Baker (1766–1841) was a prominent British map engraver and publisher active in London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Initially apprenticed to a watchmaker, he soon shifted to map engraving, producing work for renowned publishers such as William Faden before establishing himself independently. Baker operated from Islington and became the principal engraver to the Ordnance Survey in 1804, earning a reputation as one of the leading topographical engravers in Europe. His family had a long tradition in scientific instrument-making and engraving, and several of his sons went on to notable careers in surveying and engraving as well.