Browsing by subject : Historical Textbooks, esp. Geography

Levi Walter Yaggy - 1887 & 1893

Welcome to The Digital Gallery’s exhibit on Levi Walter Yaggy, comprising 30+ images from the late 1800's used to teach kids about geography. When I first saw his maps and images, I imagined that the creator of these fantastic and creative images must have someone like van Gogh, Warhol or Basquiat, because of my notion of what is a creative personality. Well, it turns out, I was significantly wrong. Levi Walter Yaggy, was an entrepreneur, an investor, an inventor and a farmer. He was born in 1848, the tenth of eleven children. His main business was the Western Publishing House, a company he founded when he was 26 and which grew to have over one thousand employees. His inventiveness may explain why his maps and images have flaps, dials, sliders and other mechanical elements.As a publisher, Yaggy’s company specialized in materials for teachers. His maps came in a kit and were each substantial in size, about 2 feet x 3 feet. Our Yaggy exhibit is composed of two sub-exhibits. The first, from 1893, has nine images that represent geographic terms and climate zones of the world, as well as a relief map of the United States. An unfortunate part of his work is the propagation of the racist idea that temperate zones and their people favor superior cultural development over tropical zones and their people. However, from an information design perspective, his maps and images are exquisitely done because they are "BAZIC" (see Google Slide below). They of their simplicity, their use of color and the overall engagement they foster.Sources:* Boston Rare Maps* Open Culture article 2019* National Geographic 2018* Collossal 2019* Yaggy Obituary* Image of Yaggy and ancestry info* Yaggy Plantation for Sale 2016. Also here.* Books by L.W. Yaggy eBay* Google Slide document about Yaggy and "View of Nature in Ascending Regions". Also describes BAZIC criteria for judging quality of a map.keyword: histtext

Dictionaire Geographique - 1812

7/20/23 - I love this book from 1812 with maps of the world. I especially love the map of France with flags of European countries and America. I gave this map to my nephew, Eric Bottern. It also has six pages dedicated to images of coins. Interesting that this atlas was published in France in 1812, when French nationalism must have been at an all-time high. This was before the Russia campaign, which Napolean lost, before he was exiled to Elba, escaped from Elba and then defeated, in 1815, at Waterloo (just outside of Brussels) and then exiled to St. Helena, an island in the Atlantic off the coast of Africa.The "Dictionnaire Géographique" was a book published in 1812 by Vosgien and Goigoux. It was a universal geographical dictionary that contained information on the geography, history, and statistics of various regions around the world. The book was well-received and became a popular reference for scholars and geographers. It was later revised and updated by other authors, including Faber and Mellet, and continued to be used as a valuable resource for geographical information. Today, copies of the "Dictionnaire Géographique" can be found in various libraries and online bookstores.[1][2][3][4] Source: Perplexity.aihttps://prezi.com/p/6-pzuyiceuxd/napoleon-bonaparte-timeline/ Keyword: histtext

Memory Maps - 1896

Alfonzo Gardiner was an editor who worked on educational books such as "The AL / Bright Story Readers" and "Home Lesson Books". He also edited "Tales for Composition" and "Tom Brown's School Days". The "A. L. / Bright Story Readers" series was a set of reading books for children, with "Hereward the Wake" being one of the stories included. The "AL / Bright Story Readers" were a series of educational books marketed as stories for readers aged 7-9. They were challenging stories illustrated in black and white by M. M. Thorpe. The series was approved for use in 1922 and included a Gr. 1 reader used for Gr. 2 and a Gr. 2-3 reader. The series was also used in schools in the 1940s.Source: perplexity.aiThe ’A.L.’ Atlas of Memory Maps series, edited by Alfonzo Gardiner and published by E.J. Arnold & Son Ltd, Educational Publishers, Leeds around 1896.keywords: geography histtext

Mitchell's School Geography - 1845

5/28/2023 This exhibit is for David Cooper-Bryce (@David Cooper-Boyce) , who took my winter study class in January 2023 at Williams College and during almost every class, borrowed and perused this book. To his credit, he split his attention well and didn't miss much of what was going on in the classroom. (See image 33 of 88 for Mitchell's assessment of Williams College...second place, with Amherst, after Harvard.)Tom Paper (@tomadmin) 5/21/23Mitchell's School Geography is a system of modern geography that was published in 1845 by S. Augustus Mitchell123. It describes the geography of the world and includes maps and illustrations. The book was published by Thomas, Cowperthwait, & Company in Philadelphia. Mitchell's School Geography was widely used in American schools during the mid-19th century and was considered a standard textbook4.S. Augustus Mitchell was the publisher of "Mitchell's School Geography" in 1845, which was a system of modern geography1234. He was also the author of "Mitchell's Ancient Geography, Designed for Academies, Schools, and Families: A System of Classical and Sacred Geography with an Ancient Atlas"5. Mitchell was an American geographer and cartographer who lived from 1792 to 18686.Source: perplexity.aiSamuel Augustus Mitchell (1790,[1] Bristol, Connecticut – December 20, 1868, Philadelphia) was an American geographer. Mitchell's 1864 map of India, Tibet, China and Southeast Asia. He was born in Connecticut.[1] Mitchell worked as a teacher before turning to publishing geography textbooks and maps. He became involved in geography after teaching and realizing that there were so many poor quality geographical resources available to teachers. He moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in either 1829 or 1830. He was in Philadelphia when he founded his company. His son, S. Augustus Mitchell, became owner in 1860. Their publications covered all genres of geography: maps, travel guides, textbooks, and more.[1] Sales of his 24 works reached an annual volume of over 400,000 copies.[2]Source: wikipediakeywords: geography histtext

Maury's Elementary Geography - 1913

Matthew Fontaine Maury was a United States Navy officer who is best known for his work in oceanography and meteorology. He was born in Virginia in 1806 and died in 1873. Maury's geography, published in 1913, was a textbook designed for primary and intermediate classes123. However, it is important to note that Maury's most significant contributions to science were made much earlier in his career. Maury charted the Navy's course to the world of oceanography, which includes all of the basic sciences as they relate to the sea6. He started small-scale meteorological work and sent his first "weather journal" for the week ending January 14, 1843, to a Washington paper for publication. Before 1851, he conceived the idea of a universal system of meteorological observation on both land and sea6. By the fall of 1852, Maury constructed a contour map of the North Atlantic Ocean bottom with a profile on latitude 39°, off the coast of New Jersey to Europe as a preliminary survey essential for making a sound recommendation on so important a matter and to show that some of the deepest water was along this parallel6. In the course of his work on wind and current charts, Lieutenant Maury saw that there were vast areas of the world for which he had insufficient data on weather as well as on ocean currents and that other nations could aid in gathering information. By 1851 he was striving for a world meteorological organization6. In the sixth edition of his "Sailing Directions" of 1854, Maury included 90 pages of new information under the title suggested by Von Humboldt, "The Physical Geography of the Sea." His publishers in Philadelphia, recognizing its value for publication as a book, promptly warned Maury that some other publisher might "steal his thunder and reap a fortune on it"6. He was also the inventor of the first electrically controlled submarine mine successfully6.Maury's geography was published in 1913, even though Maury died in 1873, because the book was a revised edition of his earlier work. Maury's Revised Elementary Geography Designed for Primary and Intermediate Classes was a revision of his elementary geography textbook designed for primary and intermediate classes5. The book was published by American Book Company in New York, Cincinnati, and other places25. The revised edition was full of colorful diagrams and photos to help students understand the concepts5. The book was also a part of the Maury Geographical Series1.Source: perplexity.aikeyword: histtext

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A First Book in American History - 1889

8/13/24A First Book in American History by Edward Eggleston is an introductory history textbook aimed at children, particularly those aged 9-12[1]. The book takes an engaging biographical approach to teaching American history, focusing on the lives and accomplishments of notable figures from Christopher Columbus to Abraham Lincoln[1][2].Key aspects of the book include:Content and Approach- It covers American history from the age of exploration through the Civil War era[2].- The book presents history through captivating stories about illustrious historical figures, making the subject more interesting and memorable for young readers[1][2].- It highlights individuals who often overcame humble beginnings and obstacles to become explorers, inventors, and statesmen[2].Historical Figures CoveredThe book includes chapters on many prominent Americans, such as:- Christopher Columbus- John Cabot- Pocahontas- Henry Hudson- Myles Standish- Benjamin Franklin- George Washington- Thomas Jefferson- Samuel Morse- Abraham Lincoln[1][2]Educational Value- Eggleston aimed to make history interesting for children, believing that they would better remember what captivated them[1].- The biographical approach allows children to learn about history while also absorbing lessons about virtue, good conduct, perseverance, and character[1].- The book includes features helpful for teaching, such as study questions after each chapter, definitions of relevant terms, maps, illustrations, and an index[1]. Format and Structure- The book contains 33 chapters, each focusing on a specific historical figure or event[2].- It includes numerous black and white illustrations and bird's-eye maps to enhance understanding[2].- The original 1889 edition was 203 pages long[4][5].Overall, A First Book in American History serves as an engaging introduction to American history for young readers, using biographical narratives to bring historical events and figures to life while imparting valuable moral lessons.Source: Perplexity.ai--Gabrielle Ly keyword: histtext 19thcentury

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