"Mappemonde ou Globe Terestre Dressee sur les Nouvelles Observations de Mrs. de l'Academie Royale des Sciences et sur les Memoires les Plus Recents", Clouet, Jean Baptiste Louis

This decorative double-hemisphere map was separately issued and includes some outdated geographical inaccuracies for its time set within a beautiful surround. First published in 1765, this map is known in 5 states with the last state dated 1807, however few geographic changes were made over time. The routes of numerous explorers are traced throughout the map, including those of Magellan, Tasman, and Halley, with later states of this map including the more recent voyages of Bougainville and Cook. However only a few updates were made to reflect the explorers' new discoveries, primarily focused in the Pacific Northwest. The islands of Hawaii were added along with a note regarding Cook's death there in 1778, and the shape of the western coastline of North America was also improved. While earlier states of this map show a clear Mer de l'Ouest (Sea of the West) in the Northwest, in the fifth state the outline of the sea has disappeared, however the name is still shown over the land area. The shape of Alaska has also been amended and no longer extends all the way to Cote decouv.te en 1741, although that partial coastline is still shown and the name of the Alaskan landmass (Presqu'Isle du Nord Ouest) hasn't been changed and therefore extends out into the ocean. Despite showing the routes of Cook's three voyages, no updates have been made to Australia, New Zealand, or other islands in the South Pacific.

The map is superimposed over what appears to be a Roman aqueduct. At bottom four unclothed children surround a short note, with numerous objects at their sides representing war, the arts, and the four continents. Issued folding in stiff paper covers with printed title label on front cover.

References: McGuirk #131.

Condition: B+

Contemporary outline color on a bright, sheet of sturdy paper with the watermark of a Maltese cross encircled in rosary beads. Issued folding with a few tiny holes at fold intersections, a short fold separation in the top blank margin, and a separation along the plate mark in the right blank margin. There are a few tiny wormholes in the image, a light stain in the south Atlantic just west of Africa, and a few other minor spots of soiling. IMAGE NOTE: The first image was taken with a digital camera and the second image is a scanned version for zooming purposes. This second image has a bluish hue along the fold lines that is caused by our scanner and is not present on the physical map.