Catalog Archive
Auction 149, Lot 76

Rare Variant of a Superb Map Showing the Island of California

"Amerique Septentrionale Divisee en ses Principales Parties, ou sont Distingues les uns des Autres les Estats…", Sanson/Jaillot

Subject: North America

Period: 1698 (circa)

Publication:

Color: Hand Color

Size:
25.5 x 18.1 inches
64.8 x 46 cm
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This beautiful map of the Americas shows California as an island in the style of the second Sanson model (1656) with the indented northern coastline. A small peninsula Agubela de Gato is the only part of the Pacific coastline shown north of California. A strip of Terre de Jesso is shown in the Pacific immediately west of northern California. Santa Fe is shown along the R. del Norte (Rio Grande River), but the river erroneously drains into the Gulf of California. The two western Great Lakes are open-ended, and Lake Erie is too far south, split by the 40th parallel. Politically the map shows the British colonies confined to the Eastern Seaboard and extending south only to a large Virginia. The Carolinas are labeled Floride Francoise and both New Sweden (N. Suede) and New Amsterdam are shown. The large Louisiana region is labeled Floride and is shown as a Spanish possession. Beautifully engraved by Cordier. This is a slightly reduced version of his map of 1674. It can be distinguished from the early version by the size and location of the distance scale. It is also dedicated to the French King rather than to the Dauphin. This is a rare variant of Burden's second state with the imprint showing the number 168 (rather than 169, believed to be a partial date) in the distance scale cartouche.

References: Burden #709; McCorkle #695.5; McLaughlin #101; Tooley (Amer.) p. 121, #37.

Condition: A

Original outline color (with later coloring in the cartouches) on watermarked paper with a professionally repaired centerfold separation that enters less than 1" into map at bottom.

Estimate: $2,300 - $2,750

Sold for: $1,700

Closed on 5/21/2014

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