Delaware County, New York 1856

My distant cousin, Jay Gould, surveyed Delaware County in 1856 and a large wall map was published.  In the middle 1800s, publishers believed that sewing the paper to a (presumably) cotton backing and 'laminating' the map with some kind of shellac, that the map itself would withstand the ravages of time.  It did to some degree.  My mother told me that the map I eventually inherited had hung for many years at Aunt Thelma's house.  

I haven't yet figured out who Aunt Thelma is. 

I unrolled the map and found it to be fragile.  I photographed it and emailed the image to the Delaware County Historical Society whose director promptly replied.  I promised the map to them but before I take it to New York, I want the information contained on it for my own personal files.  I found that using my flip-pal and stitching scans of individual cities is the best way for me to do this.

Hamden, Delaware, New York, United States

The map is creased in some places.  Little bits of the 'paper' has disintegrated.  The map is water stained and otherwise stained.  The 'shellac' has worn away.  The top of the map is separating from the wood frame.  This is a large wall map.  It covers the entire top of my queen size bed.  Because of its fragile condition and its size, I won't hang it on any of my walls.  The Delaware County Historical Society is the best home for it.