Artist/Maker

Abernethie, Thomas

Place Made

Date Made

1780-1785

Medium

ink on paper

Dimensions

HOA: 7 3/4″; WOA: 12 3/16″ (Unframed)
HOA: 11 1/2″; WOA: 15 1/2″ (Framed)

Accession Number

3698

Description

A map of Charleston Harbour showing waterways around the area, Sullivan Island and Haddrell Point shown, and small compass in the middle.

RELATED OBJECTS: A copy of David Ramsay’s “History of the Revolution in South Carolina”, published in 1787 in Trenton, New Jersey with its original plates is in the Thomas A. Gray Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Ramsay’s “History…” includes four additional maps with Abernethie’s imprint. Abernethie also engraved the first road map published in the United States, a copy of which is in the collection of the Library of Congress: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3911p.ct001073

A Charleston-made chest of drawers with a label engraved by Abernethie is also in the MESDA Collection (MESDA acc. 3068)

History

This “sketch” was engraved and printed in Charleston for David Ramsey’s History of the Revolution in South Carolina, first published in 1785 in Trenton, New Jersey.

Artist Biography

ARTIST: The engraver, Thomas Abernethie, worked in Charleston from 1786-1795. He became a citizen of this country in 1788. (Citizenship Book, 1784-1839, p. 24.)

Credit Line

Otto E. Liipfert Purchase Fund