Stielers Handatlas, 1st comprehensive edition

Extremely rare first edition of Stieler's Hand-atlas in the very extensive 'comprehensive' version with 79 maps + title page. This atlas undoubtedly belongs to the best atlases of its time (if not the very best) and therefore was also extremely expensive (it's price was 17 Thaler, which according to some sources was more than a 6 month salary of an average worker). The fist edition was the first "stable" edition, meaning the number of maps was mostly fixed. Besides the outstanding detailed general maps, the atlas contained variety of unusual and very interesting maps, like the map of Antipodes (Planiglob der Antipoden), showing the Western Hemisphere superimposed over an upside down version of the Eastern Hemisphere, the map os cross-section profile of the mountain ranges (Die Bekanteren Hoehen über der Meersfläche in Transparenten Profilen), the map of Europe's watersheds, the map of Germany's road network including the travel distances, the North Pole map, the map of the Atlantic Ocean which shows the tracks of the most important historical sailors and explorers.

The main focus of the atlas is obviously western Europe, especially Germany, however an unusually large attention was also given to the Eastern European countries like Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic states. The 4 maps of Africa still contain large blank portions in the central area, including the area of the Victoria Lake, which was yet to be explored by the Europeans. The very interesting map of the United states, revised in 1835, shows Texas independent from Mexico (although it officially gained independence in 1936), the non-existent rivers flowing from the Salt Lake to the Pacific coast, and unusually named states Ozark District, Osage District, Mandan District and Sioux District. The detailed map of Australia show routes of the East coast and West coast explorations from 1817 to 1829.