Illustrated and Topographical Atlas of the State of Vermont
New York: H. W. Burgett & Co., 1876. First edition. Hardcover. Folio (14" x 18"), half leather and pebbled cloth, gilt. 163pp. Profusely illustrated in color and black and white with 32 maps and village and city plans, and 102 business and residential views. A rare Vermont atlas. Complete but disbound. Spine missing, boards detached. First five pages of text are torn from the gutter to about 4" into the text. Involves text only with no loss. All plates are intact. Page 117 has a 4" tear into the illustration of a Wallingford residence. Page 127 has a tear in the margin of the St. Albans and Montpelier town plan maps. As described below. Very good. Item #19566
This 1876 atlas was produced by H. W.Burgett & Co. in the year of the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. Based on the Beers Atlas but with smaller, less colorful maps, it concentrated on businesses which purchased the illustrated pages. There are also many views of the homes of wealthy, prominent residents. Most of the 102 illustrations are representative of Bennington, Rutland, and Addison County businesses. After having sold those "advertisements" Graffagnino speculates that it was no longer necessary for Burgett to continue to solicit the eastern and northern areas as the profit had already been made. The full page maps are after Beers and represent all the counties and towns. There is a double-page United States map and a World map in color. The primary interest is in the illustrations, which may be another reason for the current scarcity of complete examples. Individual maps and illustrations were frequently extracted and sold. This atlas is complete. There are several double-page views as well including the Estey Organ Comapny view in Brattleboro, and a tinted view of the Kilburn and Gates Cottage Furniture Manufactory in Burlington.
Only 5 examples of the entire atlas are held in 5 libraries as listed on OCLC/WorldCat, while 16 institutions own plates or have digital copies. Graffagnino Vermomtiana 132, pp.241-3. Rarity 2.
Price: $1,250.00