Since I began building this web site, I have acquired a collection of several hundred solar eclipse maps. To help defray the costs of building this collection, I am offering a number of historical maps and books of solar eclipses for purchase. All items are originals and not reproductions.
Compared to other genres of early maps, many historical eclipse maps are still quite affordable. As Geoff Armitage states in his introduction to his book The Shadow of the Moon: British Solar Eclipse Mapping in the Eighteenth Century, “Eclipse maps are highly collectable as they form a distinct specialized group and are usually reasonably priced.”
If you are interested in purchasing any of these maps or books, simply send an email to eclipsemaps@gmail.com stating your interest. I will answer any questions and transactions can be easily completed with your credit card through a secure payment web site. Any purchased item will be delivered within two business days. All prices include delivery in the U.S. via first class postal delivery. If needed, I can provide quotes for international postal service, FedEx, or UPS delivery.
I guarantee your satisfaction. If any map or book does not meet your expectation, I will accept the return of the item and apply reimbursement.
-
-Michael Zeiler
An important early and rare solar eclipse map of 1834 from the United States. This map was published by Charles Bowen in the American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge and is the second-earliest known eclipse map from the U.S. (The earliest American eclipse map is in the 1831 American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge.) The paths of the annular eclipse of 1831 and total solar eclipse of 1834 are engraved. A point of interest is that these depicted eclipse paths are roughly similar to those of the upcoming total solar eclipses crossing the U.S. in 2017 and 2023. This map is described in Eli Maor’s article, Mapping the Moon’s Shadow, Sky & Telescope magazine, December 2004, page 45. Good condition, some foxing throughout map. 9” by 8.75” (23 cm by 22.4 cm)
$200
This map was published by David H. Williams for the 1844 edition of the American Almanac and Repository of Useful Knowledge and shows the partial eclipse of December 9, 1844. The engraving shows considerable detail of the United States from Texas to the eastern seaboard. Good condition, foxing throughout map. 13.75” by 11.25” (35 cm by 29 cm)
$100
Isabel Lewis performed eclipse calculations for the U.S. Naval Observatory and wrote popular books and magazine articles on solar eclipses. In anticipation of the total solar eclipse of January 24, 1925, in 1924 she published A Handbook of Solar Eclipses, an informative and readable survey on the scientific merit, historical observations, and future tracks of solar eclipses. The book contains several maps as shown in the 1921-1930 album of the History page of this web site as well as several photographs of eclipse coronas. The book condition is good. The frontispiece illustration is whole but detached.
$45
While the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac contains maps and tables for all eclipses since 1855, a series of supplements for eclipses of particular interest were published for years such as 1900, 1925, 1945, and 1947. These supplements all contains folding maps considerably larger and more detailed than those in the American Ephemeris and Nautical Almanac along with detailed tables and instructions for observation. An interesting table appears in this supplement with positions of the central line at 10000, 20000, and 30000 feet elevation to support contemporary scientific observations of the effect of an eclipse on the ionosphere. This supplement contains two large folding maps. In my opinion, the overview map (shown to the left) is one of the most informative and attractive eclipse maps ever published by the United States Naval Observatory. Supplement is 48 pages with two maps, 20” by 16.5” (51 cm by 42 cm) and 17.5” by 9.5” (44 cm by 24 cm).
$75
To purchase any of these items, send email to eclipsemaps@gmail.com
