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1860 Kitchell Case or Wall Map of New Jersey
NewJersey-kitchell-1860
Title
1860 (dated) 69.5 x 58.75 in (176.53 x 149.225 cm)
Description
Cartographically this map is derived from the earlier work of the State Geological Survey (from work commenced in 1836 under Henry Darwin Rogers), the U.S. Coast Survey (particularly for the Delaware Bay, New York Harbor, the New Jersey coastline, and in various river ways), and further survey work completed by the civil engineer G. Morgan Hopkins under the direction of William Kitchell, superintendent of the Geological Survey of New Jersey. Work on this map began by order of legislature in 1854 when William Kitchell was installed as State Geologist. Kitchell began the work of compiling the map with the assistance of his staff, which included George H. Cook (assistant Geologist), Henry Wurtz (Chemist and Mineralogist), and egbert Viele (Topographical engineer). Two years later, in 1856, the New Jersey legislature, citing financial difficulties, suspended funding of the map abolishing the office of state geologist. Over the subsequent four years Kitchell lobbied furiously for reinstatement and, in 1860, was granted permission to access the 'apparatus and materials belonging to the state survey' in order to, at his own expense, complete his grand map. The result, privately published later that year, is this awesome production, a landmark in the mapping of New Jersey and enormous advancement over the 1828 Gordon map.
This map is scarce. The OCLC identifies two examples in the collections of Princeton University and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. We have further identified examples at the New York State Library, the Fairleigh Dickinson University Library, and the Chester Public Library. There are two further examples in private hands. The present map seems to be the only known example in case rather than wall map format - a feature that greatly enhances its stability and overall state of preservation. A scarce and important map for any serious collection focused on New Jersey.
Cartographer
William Kitchell (April 21, 1827 - December 29, 1861) was a geologist and cartographer active in New Jersey during the middle part of the 19th century. Kitchell was born in East Madison, Morris County, New Jersey. He briefly studied at Rutgers College before dropping out to study medicine at the University of New York. He later took a position teaching Natural Sciences at the Newark Institute. Around 1850, finding his calling in this field, Kitchell proceeded to Germany in order to pursue a degree at the Mining School of Freiberg. On his return, in 1854, he was appointed to the office of State Geologist of New Jersey with a commission to produce a geological survey and accompanying topographical map of the state. A failure in legislative appropriations led to the position of State Geologist being abolished in 1860. Kitchell successfully lobbied for a reinstatement of the position and in 1860 was giving permission to continue work, though at his own expense, on his topographical map and geological survey. Later that year Kitchell published his cardinal work, the Topographical Map of New Jersey, arguably the largest and most detailed map of New Jersey ever made. One year later, in 1861, Kitchell unexpectedly died of an unknown acute illness, leaving his assistant, George H. Cook, to continue the Geological Survey, which was finally published in 1868. More by this mapmaker...