Item 174: Six Photographs by Unknown, [no date], of Drawings and Maps of Mauch Chunk Coal region by [Charles Alexandre Leseueur. R. G. Vail], ca.1829, 1834

Item — Box: 21, Folder: 174

Staff Only

Six Photographs by Unknown, [no date], of Drawings and Maps of Mauch Chunk Coal region by [Charles Alexandre Leseueur. R. G. Vail], ca.1829, 1834

Dates

Created: ca.1829, 1834

Access:

All series and subseries within this collection are open for research, with the exception of a few files within the Academia series that are restricted. The Academia series contains financial and sensitive institutional records from Wilkes College, and financial report records from Princeton University that will remain restricted for 80 years upon creation.

Extent

1 items

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Additional Description

Type of Material:

Photographs/Map

Condition Note:

Good, no issues.

Measurements:

8 1/16 in. x 10 in.

Title:

Coal Photographs/Map

Description:

The manuscript depicts photographs by an unknown creator capturing several sketches of mines and tunnels along with a negative map of the Mauch Chunk coal region by Charles Alexandre Leseueur circa 1829-1834. There are numerous annotations in French and English along the sketches before the map. They appear to be captioning the focus of the drawing, such as “La Grande Mine,” the great mine, or narrating the journey, such as “Avant d’Arriver a Princetown,” which translates to “Before arriving at Princetown.” The final photograph by an unknown creator depicts a map showing the position of Coal beds now exposed in the Mauch Chunk Region. Charles Alexandre Leseueur was born on January 1, 1778 in France. He was a a French naturalist, artist, and explorer, and attended the Collège du Havre with a possible history at the Ecole publique des mathématiques et d'hydrographie. He also served in the Nation Guard of Le Havre, and later the Navy, where in 1801, Leseueur traveled to Australia on the expedition of Nicolas Baudin. He was an avid sketcher, documenting his trips and experiences, many of which depict his interests in the natural world. In 1816, he traveled to the United States where he later resided. In 1817, he was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society, an organization that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through interpersonal and literature based methods to disseminate the findings of others. Some of his most works include, prominently the first known drawing of Grouseland, the mansion of William Henry Harrison, as well as wildlife, such as the “Drawing of a Jellyfish,” or even self portraits. Referred to as the “Switzerland of America,” Mauch Chunk was known for its mountainous scenic views along the line of the Switchback Railroad and Lehigh Valley Railroad. It is still attracting tourists to see the beautiful, mountainous views. Now referred to as Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania since 1954, Mauch Chunk is located in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. It is known for the burial site of the Native American athlete, Jim Thorpe. It is settled in the Pocono Mountains about 29 miles northwest of Allentown. If you are looking for more early sketches or information on the Mauch Chunk region or its mines, please refer to 21.40. Item 40: Diagram of Mauch Chunk, by Amos Doolittle, no date (removed to Black Box #1). The creator of the original images has been ascertained by a comparison of their manuscripts within The American Sketches of a French Naturalist, 1816-1837 A Description of the Charles Alexandre Lesueur Collection, With a Brief Account of the Artist by R. W. G. Vail.

Location:

Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania

Transcription:

Page 1: la grande mine Page 2: tunnel m Page 3: [no annotation] Page 4: avant d’arrivir a Princetown [Before arriving at Princetown] Page 5: Delaware Water Gap— Kocher Tavern Page 6: Map shewing (sic) the position of Coal beds now exposed in the Mauch Chunk Region [Map]