Denmark Map 1856 Colton Atlas Print with Iceland, Bornholm & Faroe Insets - Copenhagen, Iceland, Bornholm, Faroe Islands

This map of Denmark, with three inset maps of Iceland, Bornholm and the Faroe Islands, was published by J. H. Colton and Company, 172 William Street, New York, in 1856 as number 11 of Colton's Atlas of the World, by George W. Colton. The sheet is in full color by region and measures about 34 by 41 centimeters at a scale of 1:1,393,920, within a decorative border. The inset map of Iceland is accompanied by a list of the parts of the country open to foreign trade and by a numerical reference to the counties of the island. It is a clean and legible example of Colton's work in the 1850s. The atlas was among the finest American atlases of its decade.

The atlas was accompanied by descriptions, geographical, statistical and historical, by Richard Swainson Fisher, and it was published in New York with the London firm of Trubner and Company. It was the first world atlas produced by Colton, after many years of issuing other maps. The catalog notes that this large one-volume edition of 1856 is scarcer than the two-volume edition, in which the first volume, covering North and South America, was issued in 1855. The atlas was first published by subscription and in parts, and it is noted for its accuracy and its comprehensive coverage.

Those who collect American maps, a family with roots in Denmark, Iceland or the Faroe Islands, or anyone who likes bold regional color will find a lasting gift here. TheMapVault's Hartleben map of 1888 gives the same kingdom with insets from Vienna, whereas this Colton sheet is the American view. Like every print in the collection, it ships unframed and is available in a full range of sizes, from a compact desk piece to a large-format statement print. It also makes a good pairing with other maps of the Danish realm. It will stay a pleasure to look at for many years.