Blaeu's Decorative Map of the Southeast in Contemporary Color

"Virginiae Partis Australis, et Floridae Partis Orientalis, Interjacentiumq Regionum Nova Descriptio", Blaeu, Willem

This lovely map of the Southeast extends from the southern part of Chesapeake Bay to northern Florida. Cartographically it improves on the Hondius map of 1606, on which it was derived, with the Chesapeake Bay correctly indicated as a large bay and the Carolinas and Georgian coasts depicted more accurately. The map presents the English and French colonial interests in the region as depicted by their respective royal arms. At the southern end of the Appalachians is a note concerning gold and silver mines. Richly decorated with a large cartouche flanked by Native Americans. The Atlantic Ocean contains two compass roses, three sailing ships and two aquatic putti holding the German scale of miles. This is the second state of the map with German text on verso, published between 1647-70.

References: Burden #253; Van der Krogt (Vol. II) #9400:2.

Condition: B+

A dark impression with full contemporary color on a sheet with a bit of printer's ink residue, a few small spots of foxing, and small remnants of hinge tape on verso. There are archival repairs to a small hole in the image at bottom right and to several edge tears that are confined to the top blank margin.