"Plan of the Bay & Town of Sta. Martha, on the Coast of Tierra Firma", Jefferys, Thomas

Thomas Jefferys was one of the most important English map publishers of the 18th century. His work included prints and maps of locations around the world, but his most notable maps are of North America and the West Indies. He began his career in the map trade in the early 1730s, working as an engraver for a variety of London publishers, and eventually setting up his own shop. In 1746, he was appointed Geographer to the Prince of Wales, and in 1760 he became Geographer to the King. These titles granted access to manuscripts and cartographic information held by the government. In the early 1760s he embarked on an ambitious project to produce a series of English county maps based on new surveys, but ran out of money and filed for bankruptcy in 1766. He then partnered with London publisher Robert Sayer, who reissued many of Jefferys plates and continued to issue new editions after Jefferys' death in 1771. Jefferys' American Atlas and the accompanying West-India Atlas, published post posthumously, are considered his most important cartographic works.

Founded in 1525 by the Spanish conquistador Rodrigo de Bastidas, Santa Marta was the first Spanish settlement in Colombia and remains the oldest surviving city in the country. This map shows Santa Marta and the surrounding region. Buildings, roads, fields, forts, and some topography are shown.

References: Shirley (BL Atlases) M.JEF-3a #4.

Condition: B+

A nice impression on watermarked paper with minor toning and a small abrasion just outside of the neatline at top left. There is a tiny tear in bottom blank margin, far from map.