1856 Burritt / Huntington Map of Constellations in April, May, and June

This rare hand colored map of the stars was engraved W. G. Evans of New York for Burritt's 1856 edition of the Atlas to Illustrate the Geography of the Heavens. It represents the Northern night sky in the months of June, May, and April. Constellations are drawn in detail and include depictions of the Zodiacal figures the stars are said to represent. Included on this chart are Leo (the Lion), Virgo (the Virgin), Bootes, Hydra (the Snake) and the Centaur, among others. Chart is quartered by lines indicating the Solstitial and Equinoctial Colures. This map, like all of Burritt's charts, is based on the celestial cartographic work of Pardies and Doppelmayr. Dated and copyrighted: 'Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1856 by F. J. Huntington in the Clerks Office of the District Court of the United States in the Southern District of N. York.'

Cartographer

Elijah Hinsdale Burritt (April 20, 1794 - January 3, 1838) was an American astronomer and mathematician active in Connecticut. Burritt is often called 'the forgotten astronomer.' Burritt was born to an impoverished family in New Britain, Connecticut, and was initially apprenticed as a blacksmith. After an injury on the job, Burritt turned to astronomy with a passion. He studied at Williams College, from which he graduated in 1816. After graduation, he moved to Milledgeville, then the capital of Georgia. He taught at local schools for several years but, being a northerner, began to feel uncomfortable as his 'Yankee attitudes' alienated his peers. He returned to Connecticut in 1829 and turned his parents' home into an observatory to pursue his love of astronomy. Burritt then organized a group of 30 settlers to relocate to the newly formed Republic of Texas. There, Burritt and many of his fellow settlers contracted Yellow Fever and died. His seminal work, Burritt's Geography of the Heavens, was published in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1833. The work became the authoritative American celestial atlas of his era. Much of the nomenclature they developed, especially regarding the visible stars and constellations of the Southern Hemisphere, is still in use today. The atlas itself consisted of 8 charts depicting the heavens seasonally and hemispherically. Constellations were depicted figuratively, though only the most important stars were noted. The Geography of the Heavens was the last decorative celestial reference in the 19th century. Burrit's geography was among the most prized possessions of fantasy / horror writer H.P. Lovecraft who wrote:

My maternal grandmother, who died when I was six, was a devoted lover of astronomy, having made that a specialty at Lapham Seminary, where she was educated; and though she never personally showed me the beauties of the skies, it is to her excellent but somewhat obsolete collection of astronomical books that I owe my affection for celestial science. Her copy of Burritt's Geography of the Heavens is today the most prized volume in my library. (to Maurice W. Moe, 1 January 1915)

As a side note, Elijah Burritt is the older brother of the more famous Elihu Burritt (1810 - 1879), known for his philanthropic and social work, and the father of Elijah Hinsdale Burritt Jr. (1835 - 1879), a bookseller and publisher based in Minnesota.   Further Details...

Source

Burritt, E., Atlas Designed to Illustrate Burritt's Geography of the Heavens, 1856 edition.    

Condition

Very Good condition. Minor edge damage near top left margin. Minor overall age toning and some spotting. Blank on verso.

References

Rumsey 2853.003. Kanas, N., Star Maps, p. 277-78. Kidwell, Peggy Aldrich. 'Elijah Burritt and the 'Geography of the Heavens.'.' Sky & Telescope 69 (Jan 1985).