19th Century Survey Prints

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.

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Chromolithograph of "Colorado Desert and Signal Mountain"

Description

This chromolithograph of “Colorado Desert and Signal Mountain” was originally drawn by Charles Koppel and printed as Plate XI in the first report of volume V 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, “Explorations In California for Railroad Routes, to Connect with the Routes near the 35th and 32nd Parallels of North Latitude.” The volume was printed in 1856 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1856

original artist

Koppel, Charles

publisher

U.S. War Department

author

Williamson, Robert Stockton

printer

Tucker, Beverley

graphic artist

unknown

publisher

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command

ID Number

GA.10729.26

accession number

1918.62261

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Chromolithograph of "Fort Massachusetts at the Foot of the Sierra Blanca Valley of San Luis"

Description

Thomas Sinclair (c.1805–1881) of Philadelphia printed this chromolithograph of “Fort Massachusetts at the Foot of the Sierra Blanca Valley of San Luis” originally drawn by R.H. Kern (1821–1853) of Philadelphia and drafted by John M. Stanley (1814–1872) of Detroit (1834–1840, 1864–1872) and Washington, D.C. (1850–1860). The illustration was printed in the “Report, by Lieutenant E. G. Beckwith, Third Artillery, upon the Route near the Thirty–Eighth and Thirty–Ninth Parallels, Explored by Captain J. W. Gunnison, Corps Topographical Engineers” of volume II 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. The volume was printed in 1855 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1855

engraver

Stanley, John Mix

artist

Kern, Richard H.

printer

Sinclair, T.

publisher

U.S. War Department

author

Beckwith, Edward Griffin

Gunnison, John Williams

printer

Tucker, Beverley

publisher

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command

ID Number

GA.10729.27

accession number

1918.62261

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Chromolithograph of "Great Basin from the Summit of Tejon Pass"

Description

This chromolithograph of “Great Basin from the Summit of Tejon Pass” was originally drawn by William P. Blake (1826–1910), the mineralogist and geologist of the expedition. It was printed as "Geology, Plate V" in the geological report of the second part of volume V 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, “Routes in California, to Connect with the Routes near the Thirty–Fifth and Thirty–Second Parallels, Explored by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers, in 1853” written by William P. Blake. The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1856

publisher

U.S. War Department

printer

Tucker, Beverley

author

Williamson, Robert Stockton

original artist

Blake, William Phipps

Blake, William Phipps

graphic artist

unknown

publisher

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command

original artist

Koppel, Charles

ID Number

GA.10729.33

accession number

1918.62261

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Chromolithograph of "Los Angeles"

Description

This chromolithograph of “Los Angeles” was originally drawn by Charles Koppel. It was printed as Plate X in the first report of volume V 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, “Explorations in California for Railroad Routes, to Connect with the Routes near the 35th and 32nd Parallels of North Latitude by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers.” The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1856

publisher

U.S. War Department

printer

Tucker, Beverley

author

Williamson, Robert Stockton

original artist

Koppel, Charles

graphic artist

unknown

publisher

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command

ID Number

GA.10729.36

accession number

1918.62261

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Chromolithograph of "Metamorphic Rocks-Borders of the Desert"

Description

This chromolithograph of “Metamorphic Rocks — Borders of the Desert” was originally drawn by William P. Blake (1826–1910), the mineralogist and geologist of the expedition. It was printed as "Geology Plate XIII" in the geological report of volume V 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, “Routes in California, to Connect with the Routes near the Thirty–Fifth and Thirty–Second Parallels, Explored by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers, in 1853” by William P. Blake. The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1856

publisher

U.S. War Department

printer

Tucker, Beverley

graphic artist

unknown

original artist

Blake, William Phipps

author

Blake, William Phipps

Williamson, Robert Stockton

publisher

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command

original artist

Koppel, Charles

ID Number

GA.10729.37

accession number

1918.62261

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Chromolithograph of "Mirage on the Colorado Desert"

Description

This chromolithograph of “Mirage on the Colorado Desert” was originally drawn by William P. Blake (1826–1910), the mineralogist and geologist of the expedition. It was printed as "Geology, Plate XII" in the geological report of the second part of volume V 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, “Routes in California, to Connect with the Routes near the Thirty–Fifth and Thirty–Second Parallels, Explored by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers, in 1853” by William P. Blake. The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1856

publisher

U.S. War Department

printer

Tucker, Beverley

expedition leader

Williamson, Robert Stockton

author

Blake, William Phipps

original artist

Blake, William Phipps

graphic artist

unknown

publisher

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command

ID Number

GA.10729.32

accession number

1918.62261

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Chromolithograph of "Mission and Plain of San Fernando"

Description

This chromolithograph of “Mission and Plain of San Fernando” was originally drawn by Charles Koppel. It was printed as Plate VI in the geological report of volume V 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, “Routes in California, to Connect with the Routes near the Thirty–Fifth and Thirty–Second Parallels, Explored by Lieutenant R. S. Williamson, Corps of Topographical Engineers, in 1853” written by William P. Blake. The volume was printed in 1857 by Beverley Tucker in Washington, D.C.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1856

publisher

U.S. War Department

printer

Tucker, Beverley

author

Williamson, Robert Stockton

Blake, William Phipps

original artist

Koppel, Charles

graphic artist

unknown

publisher

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Topographic Command

ID Number

GA.10729.38

accession number

1918.62261

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Chromolithograph of bird species "Euphonia Rufiventris adult male and Chlorophonia Occipitalis adulte male"

Description

Thomas Sinclair (c.1805–1881) of Philadelphia printed this chromolithograph of “Euphonia rufiventis [Vieill] adult male and Chlorophonia occipitalis [Du Bus] adult male,” now "Euphonia rufiventris" (Rufous-bellied euphonia) and "Chlorophonia occipitalis" (Blue-crowned chlorophonia), from an original sketch by William Dreser (c.1820–after 1860) of Philadelphia (1847–1860) and New York (1860). This is an unfinished proof, whose final version was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXI in the “Birds” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by John Cassin (1813–1869).

Location

Currently not on view

date of book publication

1855

graphic artist

Sinclair, Thomas

original artist

Dreser, William

printer

Nicholson, A. O. P.

publisher

United States Navy

author

Cassin, John

Gilliss, James Melville

ID Number

2008.0175.06

accession number

2008.0175

catalog number

2008.0175.06

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Chromolithograph of bird species "Phalacrocorax Brasilianus"

Description

Thomas Sinclair (c.1805–1881) of Philadelphia printed this lithograph of “Phalacrocorax brasilianus [GM]” or Neotropic cormorant, from an original sketch by William Dreser (c.1820–after 1860) of Philadelphia (1847–1860) and New York (1860). The illustration was printed in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXVIII in the “Birds” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by John Cassin (1813–1869).

Location

Currently not on view

date of book publication

1855

graphic artist

Sinclair, Thomas

original artist

Dreser, William

publisher

United States Navy

printer

Nicholson, A. O. P.

author

Cassin, John

Gilliss, James Melville

ID Number

2008.0175.02

accession number

2008.0175

catalog number

2008.0175.02

Data Source

National Museum of American History
Engraving of fish and frog species "Trichomycterus Maculatus, Cheiroden Pisciculus, Cystignathus Taeniatus, and Phyllobates Auratus"

Description

William Dougal (1822–1895) of Washington, D.C. engraved this print of “Trichomycterus maculatus [Cuv. -Val.], Cheiroden pisciculus [Grd], Cystignathus taeniatus [Grd], and Phyllobates auratus [Grd]” now "Trichomycterus maculatus," "Cheiroden pisciculus," "Batrachyla taeniata," (Banded tree frog), and "Dendrobates auratus" (Poison dart frog, Green poison frog, Green and black poison dart frog) from an original sketch by John H. Richard (c.1807–1881) of Philadelphia. The illustration was published in 1855 by A.O.P. Nicholson in Washington, D.C. as Plate XXXIV in the “Reptiles, fishes, crustacea” section of volume II of The United States Naval Astronomical Survey to the Southern Hemisphere, written by Charles Girard (1822–1895). The print is also signed by Girard.

Location

Currently not on view

date of book publication

1855

original artist

Richard, John H.

graphic artist

Dougal, William H.

printer

Nicholson, A. O. P.

publisher

United States Navy

author

Girard, Charles

Gilliss, James Melville

ID Number

2008.0175.16

accession number

2008.0175

catalog number

2008.0175.16

Data Source

National Museum of American History