1835 Burritt Map of the Solar System

This rare chart illustrating the Solar System was engraved W. G. Evans of New York for Burritt's Atlas to Illustrate the Geography of the Heavens. Shows the primary planets in relation to one another both with regard to magnitude and distance from the sun. Subcharts detail the inclination of the orbits of the other planets in relation to earth and the distances of various planets from the Sun. Dated and copyrighted: 'Entered according to Act of Congress Sept. 1st 1835 by F. J. Huntington of the State of Connecticut.

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, 1835.    

Condition

Very Good condition. Minor wear along original centerfold and original fold lines. Blank on verso. Left and right margins extended. Typical overall toning and some spotting. Professionally flattened and backed with archival Japanese tissue.

References

Rumsey, 2853.001 (1835 edition). Kanas, N., Star Maps, p. 277-78. Kidwell, Peggy Aldrich. 'Elijah Burritt and the 'Geography of the Heavens.'.' Sky & Telescope 69 (Jan 1985).