Printing Matrices for "Narrative of the U.S. Exploring Expedition"

In 1836 the U.S. Congress authorized President Andrew Jackson "to send out a surveying and exploring expedition to the Pacific Ocean and South Seas." The U.S. Exploring Expedition's Narrative . . . (Vols. I-V) was written to follow the path of the three-year and ten-month expedition (1838–1842), which traveled from Norfolk, Virginia, east to the islands off the coast of Portugal, around the tip of South America to Antarctica, and then up the west coast of South America. During the rest of the expedition, either Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, the commander, or parts of his squadron traveled to Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific islands, the Philippines, Singapore, Hawaii, and North America's West Coast. Expedition members included scientists and artists who illustrated the people encountered, the narrative scenery, the cartographic studies, and the specimens collected.

The five Narrative volumes were published in 1844. Of the accompanying scientific volumes VI–XXIV, fourteen were published between 1844 and 1874. The remaining five were never officially distributed.

The printing matrices—either engraved plates and blocks or lithographic stones—used to print the Narrative of the U.S. Exploring Expedition and its accompanying volumes are housed in the Graphic Arts Collection of the National Museum of American History. This collection includes 309 engraved wood blocks, 133 engraved copper and steel-faced plates, with an additional presentation card plate, and 19 lithographic stones.

 

This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Diagram of a Section of the Survey of the Columbia River by the U.S. Ex.
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Diagram of a Section of the Survey of the Columbia River by the U.S. Ex. Ex." for the publication "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," Volume 23, Hydrography, following page 6, in the edition Philadelphia : C. Sherman , 1861. The engraving was prepared by W. H. Dougal.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1861
Associated Name
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Wilkes, Charles
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Sherman, C.
author
Wilkes, Charles
Maker
Gaskill
ID Number
1999.0145.438
accession number
1999.0145
catalog number
1999.0145.438
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Pleiodus strigirostris" (now Didunculus strigirostris - Tooth-billed Pigeon or Samoan Pigeon) for the publication "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," Volume 8, Mammalo
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Pleiodus strigirostris" (now Didunculus strigirostris - Tooth-billed Pigeon or Samoan Pigeon) for the publication "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," Volume 8, Mammalogy and Ornithology, plate 34, in the edition Philadelphia : J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1858. The engraving was produced by W. H. Dougal after T. R. Peale.
Description
William H. Dougal (1822–1895) of New York and Washington, D.C., (after 1844) engraved this copper printing plate after a drawing by Expedition Naturalist Titian Ramsey Peale. The image depicts the Pleiodus strigirostris (now Didunculus strigirostris, Tooth billed pigeon or Samoan Pigeon). The engraved illustration was published as Plate 34 in Volume VIII, Mammalogy and Ornithology, by John Cassin, 1858.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1858
publisher
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Peale, Titian Ramsay
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Sherman, Conger
author
Cassin, John
ID Number
1999.0145.414
catalog number
1999.0145.414
accession number
1999.0145
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Broom Road, Tahiti" for the publication "The Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," 1844, Volume 2, following page 32, in the edition Philadelphia : Lea a
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Broom Road, Tahiti" for the publication "The Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," 1844, Volume 2, following page 32, in the edition Philadelphia : Lea and Blanchard, 1845. The engraving was produced by the firm of Sherman & Smith after a sketch by A.T. Agate.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1845
Associated Name
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Agate, A. T.
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Sherman, C.
publisher
Lea & Blanchard
printer
Sherman, C.
ID Number
1999.0145.327
accession number
1999.0145
catalog number
1999.0145.327
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Scolopax meridionalis, Zapornia umbrina" (now Galinago shicklandii - Cordilleran snipe and Porzana porzana - Spotted Crake) for the publication "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840,
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Scolopax meridionalis, Zapornia umbrina" (now Galinago shicklandii - Cordilleran snipe and Porzana porzana - Spotted Crake) for the publication "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," Volume 8, Mammalogy and Ornithology, plate 35, in the edition Philadelphia : J. B. Lippincott & Co., 1858. The engraving was produced by W. H. Dougal after W. E. Hitchcock.
Description
William H. Dougal (1822–1895) of New York and Washington, D.C. (after 1844) engraved this copper printing plate after drawings by William E. Hitchcock. The image depicts the Scolopax meridionalis (now Galinago shicklandii, or Cordilleran snipe) and Zapornia umbrina (now Porzana porzana, or Spotted Crake). The engraved illustration was published as Plate 35 in Volume VIII, Mammalogy and Ornithology, by John Cassin, 1858.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1858
publisher
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Hitchcock, W. E.
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Sherman, Conger
author
Cassin, John
maker
Peale, Titian Ramsay
ID Number
1999.0145.415
catalog number
1999.0145.415
accession number
1999.0145
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image showing five fish species in the never published Volume 21-22, Ichthyology, part of the series of publications the "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842." The plate images wer
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image showing five fish species in the never published Volume 21-22, Ichthyology, part of the series of publications the "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842." The plate images were engraved by W. H. Dougal after Louis Agassiz.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1849
Associated Name
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Agassiz, Louis
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
author
Agassiz, Louis
ID Number
1999.0145.436
accession number
1999.0145
catalog number
1999.0145.436
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Map of the World Showing The Extent and Direction of the Wind and the Route to be Folloed in a Circumnavigation of the Globe" for the publication "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image of "Map of the World Showing The Extent and Direction of the Wind and the Route to be Folloed in a Circumnavigation of the Globe" for the publication "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842," Volume 23, Hydrography," in the edition Philadelphia : C. Sherman , 1851. The engraving was prepared by W. H. Dougal after F. D. Stuart.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1849
1861
Associated Name
Wilkes, Charles
author
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Stuart, F. D.
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
printer
Sherman, C.
maker
Rock, William B.
ID Number
1999.0145.460
accession number
1999.0145
catalog number
1999.0145.460
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image showing four fish species in the never published Volume 21-22, Ichthyology, part of the series of publications the "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842." The plate images wer
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image showing four fish species in the never published Volume 21-22, Ichthyology, part of the series of publications the "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842." The plate images were engraved by W. H. Dougal after Joseph Drayton.
Description
William H. Dougal (1822–1895) of New York and Washington, D.C., (after 1844) engraved this copper printing plate depicting four species of fish documented by the U.S. Exploring Expedition. The illustrations were to be published in Volumes XXII and XXIII, Ichthyology, by Louis Agassiz. Dougal engraved 26 of the 28 plates for this volume which was never printed.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1849
1862
publisher
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Drayton, Joseph
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
author
Agassiz, Louis
ID Number
1999.0145.435
accession number
1999.0145
catalog number
1999.0145.435
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image showing three species of shark in the never published Volume 21-22, Ichthyology, part of the series of publications the "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842." The plate image
Description (Brief)
This engraved printing plate was prepared to print an image showing three species of shark in the never published Volume 21-22, Ichthyology, part of the series of publications the "United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842." The plate images were engraved by W. H. Dougal after Joseph Drayton.
Description
William H. Dougal (1822–1895) of New York and Washington, D.C., (after 1844) engraved this copper printing plate depicting three species of shark documented by the U.S. Exploring Expedition. The engraved illustrations were to be published in volumes XXII and XXIII, Ichthyology, by Louis Agassiz. Dougal engraved 26 of the 28 plates for this volume which was never printed.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1849
publisher
Wilkes, Charles
original artist
Drayton, Joseph
graphic artist
Dougal, William H.
author
Agassiz, Louis
ID Number
1999.0145.437
accession number
1999.0145
catalog number
1999.0145.437

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