Simultaneous with the production of folio atlases and geographies was the emergence of a "pocket" genre, often produced by the same cartographers or publishers (14, 15). This product was both portable and relatively inexpensive (12) in comparison to the size and price of a full-sized atlas. Often these were aimed at a specific market niche (16) or were focused on a particular geographical region (13, 17). The format could be elegant in presentation (19) or severely plain (14). The detail could be exquisite (18) or could perpetuate gross geographical errors (15).

The improvement of roads and other modes of travel in the eighteenth century created a market for books that dealt with practical rather than "arm-chair" geographic knowledge. Initially, the demand was for information on turnpikes and market days (20), then for stage coaches and canals (21), and in the nineteenth century for steamship and railroad lines (22, 23, 25). A change in binding style from tooled morocco to functional wallet (26) indicated the utilitarian purpose. These volumes present a fine primary source for research in the infrastructural development of many areas. As the nineteenth century progressed, a class of authors emerged who were neither cartographers nor geographers but rather professional guide book writers, offering practical and reliable information based on direct experience. Their works were issued frequently in updated editions for the convenience of travelers (22, 24, 27).