"Atlas, Designed to Illustrate the Geography of the Heavens" by Elijah H. Burritt, New York, Huntington and Savage (FJ Huntington and Co), 1835. Second and Third Editions. 14" x 16" folios, soft wraps. All but one plate hand colored, in the original tan and green wraps. Loss to upper right corner and tears lower left of the third. Both have scattered water stains, foxing and soiling, but most color is bright and fresh.
"Comprising the Following Maps or Plates. Plans, Exhibiting the Relative Magnitudes, Distances and Positions of the Different Bodies which Compose the Solar System; The Visible Heavens in January, February, and March; The Visible Heavens in October, November and December; The Visible Heavens in July, August, and September; The Visible Heavens in April, May, and June; The Visible Heavens in the South Polar Regions for Each Month in Year; The Visible Heavens in the North Polar Regions for Each Month in the Year; Planisphere of the Whole Heavens on Mercator's Projection."
[20 pp.] Printed wrappers. A collection of seven astronomical maps, along with a chart exhibiting relationships of objects in the solar system. Burritt's work, originally published in 1833, was an example of a burgeoning style of popular star atlases which 'retained the constellations but made no attempt to chart every star... The constellations feature prominently on Burritt's maps, but the emphasis is on naked eye astronomy and only the brightest stars are shown.' These were popular alternatives to expensive celestial globes, and led to an increased interest and public involvement in the field of astronomy. (Divine Sky: The Artistry of Astronomical Maps, University of Michigan Shapiro Science Library, 2009)