Color lithographed map. Lithographed by Julius Bien, New York. 104x86.5 cm (42x34"), backed with linen & sectioned for folding into original gilt-lettered cloth covers 27.2x19.2 cm (10¾x7½").
First edition of this spectacular color map of California and Nevada, with much topographical detail, as well as cities, towns, roads, railroads, missions, and more. Lake Tahoe is called Lake Bigler. There is a printed note beneath the title: "Note: In the compilation of this map the following materials were used. For California: The work of the State Geological Survey and that of the U.S. Coast and Land Surveys. For Nevada: The work of the Fortieth Parallel Survey, under Clarence King, the U.S. Engineer Explorations under Williamson and Wheeler, the Central Pacific Railroad Survey under Butler Ives, and the work of the California Survey by Wackenreuder, Craven, Wilson and Loehr from 1863 to 1872." There are four editions of this map - 1873, 1874, 1878, and 1887. Warren Heckrotte comments: "This first edition appears to be rare being in print for only one year; this copy is the only one I've seen for sale." The the map is dated 1873, the covers are, oddly, dated 1874. With bookplate of Robert Ernest Cowan on inside of the front cover.
Provenance: Frontier America, San Francisco Book Fair, 2/91
References: W-TW 1238. Wheat, 25 California Maps, #25. Goetzman, Exploration and Empire, Chap. X, (Rep 3rd ed.). Rowell, p 8. California 49, map 39 (Rep).