This map of Japan was first issued in Aaron Arrowsmith’s and Samuel Lewis’ collaborative work published in Philadelphia in 1804.

Samuel Lewis was heavily involved in the production of the earliest atlas published in the United States by Mathew Carey in 1795. He compiled and supplied many of the very earliest maps of specific states present in that work. Following this success, he embarked on his own publishing career. His “New and Elegant General Atlas” comprised of 63 maps from all over the world and was first issued in 1804 in Philadelphia. To ensure accuracy for the mapping of lands outside the United States, Lewis obtained the collaboration of Aaron Arrowsmith, who was regarded as one of the if not the foremost cartographer of Great Britain during this period.

Although there is no credit on this map, it is based on the geographical shape Arrowsmith used both on his wall map of the world and of Asia. He in turn, based this map on the shape of the islands which was first used by Louis Bourguignon D'Anville from a compilation of Jesuit sources as early as 1732. 

The example offered for sale is from the 1812 edition of the work published in Boston by Thomas and Andrews. [SEAS5524]