The Beautiful Shape of Texas
Karl Wilhem "Charles" Pressler arrived in Texas from Germany about three weeks before statehood. As a trained surveyor and map maker, he found employment in his new home right away.
For the next fifty-four years, the geography of Texas would be his livelihood and obsession.
He spent every spare moment for four years creating the map you see here, compiling it from the records of the General Land Office, where he was Chief Draftsman.
It was recognized immediately as the best map of Texas yet produced. It accurately depicted pioneer routes, forts. colonies, locations of Indian tribes, counties, towns, rivers, creeks, mountains, roads, railroads, and district boundaries.
Two smaller inset maps showed the original empresario land grants and Republic of Texas land districts.
The Texas Legislature appropriated $1000 to purchase copies for each County Clerk's office in the state.
It's also a thing of beauty with the borders all dressed in red, highlighting that distinctive shape so dear to Texan hearts.
Physical Details
- 27 by 24 inches
- On heavyweight fine-art paper
- Pure Texas
This is a museum quality reproduction.
It is printed on heavyweight acid free fine-art paper with an elegant ever so lightly textured finish. This surface allows the inks to 'bite', reproducing the shading and tonality of the original map vividly, beautifully, and exactly.
The inks are guaranteed color-fast for 80 years, which means you won't need to lay out the extra money for UV glass. You can hang your map in direct sun and it will be just as bright when they are passed on to the next generation it is the day it ships.
It's an instant heirloom. Get yours before they're gone...and get one to give to a friend. He'll owe you!
