History of Cowperthwait and Mitchell Publishing Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. (later Cowperthwait, Desilver & Butler, and still later Cowperthwait & Co.) was an American publishing company based in Philadelphia in the early to mid-nineteenth century. This firm was established in 1838 when Joseph M. Thomas and Joseph T. Billburn joined Hulings Cowperthwait. Originally a school publisher, they expanded to sell many geographic materials. In 1850 they acquired the copyright for S. Augustus Mitchell’s New Universal Atlas, hitherto published by Mitchell since 1846. The firm enlarged the atlas and published further editions until 1854. These maps are regarded as some of the best American maps produced during the mid-19th century. They published many famous works, including Tanner’s New Universal Atlas. The firm was active until about 1854. During this time these engraved maps were hand-colored with a decorative pink and green banknote border. Mitchell was the primary mapmaker of the company while Thomas, Cowperthwait & Co. was involved in the publishing aspect. Mitchell later bought the rights to the Atlas and published it himself after 1860.
