19th Century Survey Prints - Introduction
The 19th century United States Federal Government was interested to enlarge and examine the country’s land holdings to the west and the south. It commissioned many exploratory expeditions in order to research information about these lands, and their potential benefits, to the country. The expeditions included the United States and Mexico Boundary Survey, the United States Naval Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere, and the United States Pacific Railroad Surveys.
Imagery prepared to describe the narratives and expedition findings included topographical landscapes, scientific specimens, native peoples, and anthropological artifacts encountered and collected. The expeditions were staffed with naturalists whose collected material many times found a home in the collections of the Smithsonian’s U.S. National Museum. Read more about the surveys.
"19th Century Survey Prints - Introduction" showing 2 items.
Lithograph of bird species "Carpodacus cassinii and Melospiza fallax"
- Description
- This lithograph of “Carpodacus cassinii [Baird] and Melospiza fallax [Baird];” now "Carpodacus cassinii" (Cassin’s finch) and "Melospiza melodia fallax" (Song sparrow) was drawn by an unknown artist. It was printed as Plate XXVII in the zoological report of volume X of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Exploration for a Railway Route (near the thirty–fifth Parallel of North Latitude) from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, by Lieutenant A. W. Whipple, Corps of Topographical Engineers; assissted by Lieutenant J.C. Ives, Corps of Topographical Engineers.” Though the zoological report was ready in 1853–1854, the volume was not printed until 1859 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of section
- 1853-1854
- date of book publication
- 1859
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- author
- Whipple, Amiel Weeks
- Ives, Joseph Christmas
- Kennerley, Caleb Burwell Rowan
- original artist or graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*16332.081
- catalog number
- 16332.081
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center
Lithograph of bird species "Centurus uropygialis"
- Description
- This lithograph of “Centurus uropygialis [Baird]”, now "Melanerpes uropygialis" or the Gila woodpecker, was drawn by an unknown artist. It was printed as Plate XXXVI in the zoological report of volume X of Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, “Report of Exploration for a Railway Route (near the thirty–fifth Parallel of North Latitude) from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, by Lieutenant A. W. Whipple, Corps of Topographical Engineers; assisted by Lieutenant J.C. Ives, Corps of Topographical Engineers.” Though the zoological report was ready in 1853–1854, the volume was not printed until 1859 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date of section
- 1853-1854
- date of book publication
- 1859
- author
- Whipple, Amiel Weeks
- Ives, Joseph Christmas
- Kennerley, Caleb Burwell Rowan
- original artist or graphic artist
- unknown
- publisher
- U.S. War Department
- printer
- Nicholson, A. O. P.
- publisher
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command
- ID Number
- GA*16332.089
- catalog number
- 16332.089
- accession number
- 1930.110179
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History, Kenneth E. Behring Center