Catalog Archive
Auction 148, Lot 85

"[On 4 Sheets] Generalkarte von Nordamerica samt den Westindischen Inseln", Schraembl, Franz Anton

Subject: North America

Period: 1788 (dated)

Publication: Allgemeiner Grosser Atlas

Color: Hand Color

Size:
23 x 19.9 inches
58.4 x 50.5 cm
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This large-scale map of North America includes excellent detail of towns, political boundaries, roads, rivers, mines, Indian villages, and tribal territories. The map is a German-language edition of Emmanuel Bowen and John Gibson's An Accurate Map of North America Describing and Distinguishing the British, Spanish and French Dominions on this Great Continent…, which was first published in 1763 to illustrate the seat of the French and Indian War. Hundreds of settlements and Indian villages are located, with interesting notations referring to native tribes and historical events. A number of roads are shown on the map stretching all the way to New Mexico and Neu Navarra. There are two interesting inset maps. One shows the discoveries of Father Eusebius Kino in the Southwest that proved that California was not an island. The other illustrates the ongoing search for a Northwest Passage, showing Baffin and Hudson Bays with the fictional Lake de Fonte (See de Fonte) reaching nearly to Baffin Bay. The title cartouche also credits Thomas Pownall's map of the Middle British Colonies, updated from Lewis Evans' map, with valuable geographic knowledge of the Ohio River Valley. The routes of the Spanish treasure galleons are shown throughout the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The map is adorned with a rococo cartouche containing distance scales and a legend, and a decorative title cartouche featuring a female figure representing America and two cherubs. Engraved by Johann Stenger. Printed on four sheets, as issued without centerfolds; size varies slightly. Full sheets measure 36 x 25.3" (bottom two sheets) and 38.5 x 25.3" (top two sheets).

References: McCorkle #788.6; Phillips (A) #694.

Condition: A

Nice impressions with slightly faded original outline color and a couple of small, unobtrusive spots. Printed on heavy, watermarked paper with the most generous margins we've ever seen.

Estimate: $1,400 - $1,700

Sold for: $900

Closed on 2/19/2014

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