A SPECIAL COLLECTION OF EXCEPTIONAL, RARE ANTIQUE MAPS
001rare: 1676 Map of Jamaica and Barbados, by John Speed. This beautiful folio sheet map, titled "A Map of Jamaica" and "Barbados," was published in John Speed's "Prospect of the Most Famous Parts of the World" in 1676. It is very decorative, with images of sea monsters, sailing ships, and four compass roses on the image. Both islands are divided into precincts, which are outlined with original hand coloring. Map condition is very good; there are no tears, stains or other blemishes on the image. Professionally mounted and framed, ready to hang on your wall! 15x19.5 in. $1500
002rare: 1720 Homann Map of Asia. This fascinating, engraved map is titled "Asiae Recentissima Delineatio." It was published circa 1720 by J. B. Homann. The map is extremely detailed, showing cities, towns and geographical features throughout the continent. Political boundaries are marked with original outline and wash hand coloring. In addition to the Asian continent, Homann also includes the Philippines, East Indies and a badly misshapen Japan. The map title is surrounded by a beautiful, decorative cartouche. This map is in good condition. The margin has been trimmed up to the border, and in several places the border has been partially trimmed away. The map image is not affected, however. A long vertical split along the center crease has been professionally repaired, and is barely noticeable. 19x22 in. $750
003rare: Basire Map of Dendermonde, Belgium. This beautifully engraved, hand-colored map was engraved by J. Basire for Mr. Tindal's Continuation of Rapin's History of England in 1747. The map is titled "Plan of the City of Dendermonde, and the Manner in which it was Blocked by the Troops of the Allies." It shows the locations of troops that were stationed around the city during the War for Spanish Succession in the early 1700s. A decorative cartouche in the lower right corner contains explanations of troop movements and major landmarks. In the lower left there is a bird's eye view of the city. This map is in very good condition, with no tears, stains or other blemishes on the image. 15x18 in. $275
004rare: 1680 West Indies Map by Visscher. This handsome map of the West Indies is titled "Insulae Americanae in Oceano Septentrionali ac Regiones Adiacentes, a C. de May usque ad Lineam Aequinoctialem." It was published in the early 1680s by Dutch cartographer Nicolaus Visscher. While it focuses primarily on the Caribbean islands, the surrounding regions are also shown in considerable detail. The area shown extends as far north as the Chesapeake Bay, and south to the Equator. All of Central America is included, as well as most of eastern Mexico. While much of the map is quite accurate, it does contain some glaring geographical errors. In North America, Visscher shows a chain of mountains extending westward across the continent from the coast of Virginia. Georgia contains two large, non-existent lakes, and the Mississippi River is not shown. In its place are four mythical rivers which empty into the Gulf of Mexico through a bay called "Spiritu Santo." In South America Visscher pinpoints the location of El Dorado, the much sought-after but nonexistent city of gold. El Dorado is shown next to a large lake in Guiana, called "Lacus Parime vel Roponowini." This map is very decorative. The title is printed in the upper right corner, on a cartouche with cherubs on either side. In the lower left, the scale of miles is surrounded by gods from classical mythology. The ocean is dotted with European sailing ships, as well as native canoes. The condition of the map is very good, with no tears, stains or foxing. The original wash and outline hand coloring contributes greatly to its beauty. There are several areas where ink from the original outline coloring caused some brittleness and small splits in the paper. Those splits have been expertly repaired by a professional conservator, and they are almost unnoticeable. Map size is 18x22 in. $2000 SOLD
005rare: 1640 Jansson Map of Rheims, France. This beautiful, engraved map is titled "Dioecese de Rheims, et le Pais de Rethel." It was published by Dutch cartographer Jan Jansson in his Nieuwen Atlas, Ofte Weerelt-Beschrijvinghe, circa 1640. It depicts the area around the city of Rheims, which is northwest of Paris France. Beneath the title, which is in the upper left corner of the image, Jansson acknowledges the work of French surveyor Jean Jubrien as the source of his geographical information. He shows fortified cities and towns as groups of buildings surrounded by walls. Smaller, unfortified villages are marked with simple dots. Wooded areas throughout the region appear as groups of individual trees. This map is quite decorative. The title is surrounded by an ornate cartouche, flanked by two cherubs. In the upper right corner there is a brightly colored coat of arms, also flanked by cherubs. The scale of miles at bottom right includes the figure of a man who is measuring distances with a cartographer's tool. Original hand coloring and considerable detail make this a very attractive map. It is in very good condition, with no stains, tears or other blemishes on the image. A small split along the center crease is in the margin only; the image itself is not affected. Paper size is 19"x23", and image size is 15"x19". $550
006rare: 1684 Visscher Map of New Netherland, Now Northeast USA. This is the 4th state (1684) of Nicholaes Visscher's 1655 map of New Netherland, one of the most famous 17th century maps of what is now the Eastern U.S.A. between Virginia and Maine. The map was printed in five states between 1655 and 1729. Each successive version shows an ever-increasing European presence in the region, with new cities and forts appearing; particularly along the Delaware River. The names of Indian villages and tribal lands appear throughout the map, but they are shown within larger territories claimed by the Dutch, English and French. Numerous views and images appear throughout this map. In the lower right corner there is a detailed view of New Amsterdam (now New York City); one of the earliest published views of the settlement. North American wildlife is represented by images of foxes, bears, beavers, turkeys, rabbits and deer. The ocean contains a European sailing ship, as well as several native canoes. A Mohican Indian village is shown on the far left. Much of the geographical information (some of it quite wrong) is based on earlier maps by Jansson (1651) and Blaeu (1635). Visscher's most significant error, which came directly from Blaeu, is the inclusion of a nonexistent river between the Hudson and the Delaware. That "river" was the source of much confusion throughout the colonial period, because the King of England used it to mark the boundary between the colonies of New York and New Jersey. The condition of this map is very good, with no tears, stains or foxing. The original wash and outline hand coloring contributes greatly to the beauty of the piece. There are several areas, particularly around the New Jersey, Delaware and New England borders, where the ink from the original outline coloring caused some brittleness and small splits in the paper. Those splits have been expertly repaired by a professional conservator, and they are almost unnoticeable. Overall, this is a beautiful example of one of the 17th century's most important regional maps of North America. It is an essential item for any serious collector of early colonial maps; particularly those with an interest in early New York City. Map size is 18x22 in. $7000 SOLD
007rare: 1680 De Wit Map of North, South America: California as an Island. This beautifully engraved map of the Americas, with original wash and outline hand coloring, was published circa 1680 by Frederick De Wit. Most of the map is based on an earlier work by Visscher who believed, like De Wit, that California was an island off the west coast of North America. De Wit shows the colonial divisions of the entire hemisphere, and includes the locations of both European and Native American settlements. In the Brazilian region of South America he shows Indian tribes fighting each other, with their bows drawn and clubs at the ready. There is also a view of a typical Indian village in the same region. North America is divided into the following regions: "Hispania Nova," "Nova Mexico," "Nova Francia," "Florida" and "Canada." The English colonies along the East coast are NOT shown as English possessions: they are divided between Spanish "Florida" and French "Nova Francia." The primary feature of interest in North America is the large island of California. De Wit separates it from the mainland by a channel called "Mare Vermio" and "Mare Rubrum." Four smaller islands are shown inside the channel. Most of the northwest portion of the continent is left blank, except for several images of what he imagined to be native animals. In the upper left corner of the map, De Wit includes a notation (in Latin) about the history of European discovery and division of the Americas. The notation is surrounded by images of two angels, a Native American ruler, and a demon. The lower left corner features Native Americans who are hunting, farming and gathering food. A native chieftain is shown next to the map title, standing over several bars of silver. Snakes and birds are featured prominently in the scene, as well. To the west of South America, De Wit shows numerous South Pacific islands. A large, vaguely-defined island named "Quiri Regio" appears on the far left, just above the Tropic of Capricorn. This map is in excellent condition, with no tears, stains or other blemishes on the image. Size is 19x23 in. $3200
008rare: 1770 Lotter Map of North America, West Indies. This fascinating map of North America and the West Indies is titled "America Septentrionalis, Concinnata juxta Observationes Dnn Academiae Regalis Scientiarum et nonnullorum aliorum, et juxta annotations recentissimas Per G. de L'Isle, Geographum Venalis prostat Augustae Vindelicurum." It was published by Tobias Lotter shortly before the American Revolutionary War. The map title is surrounded by a decorative cartouche, depicting trade between Europe and the Americas. In the top left corner, a scale of miles and a notation by the cartographer are shown. Bright, original wash and outline hand coloring delineates the areas that had been colonized by various European countries. On the East Coast, the British colonies are shown extending as far west as the Mississippi River. The names of many colonial cities and towns, as well as Native American settlements, appear throughout the Eastern part of the continent. In the region which is now the Southwestern United States (labeled "Nova Mexico"), Lotter includes the names of nomadic Indian tribes as well as Spanish colonial settlements. California, which was still thought by some cartographers to be an island off the west coast, is ambiguously drawn on the left side of the map image. Lotter appears to be sidestepping the California-as-an-island issue by showing it neither definitely connected nor disconnected from the mainland. Along the west coast of Mexico and California, the routes of several European explorers are shown. With the exception of Sir Francis Drake, none of the explorers' routes extends farther north than the top of Baja California. This map is in very good condition, with no tears or major blemishes. There is a small dark spot in the Atlantic Ocean (just above the Tropic of Cancer), but other than that, the image is clean and clear. Size is 18x22.5 in. $1500
009rare: Large, Detailed 1720 Map of North America by Herman Moll. This fascinating, rare map, published by Herman Moll in 1720, is titled "A New Map of the North Parts of America claimed by France under ye names of Louisiana, Mississipi, Canada and New France with ye Adjoyning Territories of England and Spain." It consists of four half-sheets joined together with an overall size of 24 x 40 inches. In the lower left corner, a cartouche surrounds the map's dedicatory text. The map title appears in a decorative border below the dedication. Moll partially based this map on a 1718 map of the same region by French cartographer Guillaume Delisle: "Carte de la Louisiane et cours du Mississippi." There are some major differences between the two maps, however, particularly concerning the border between English Carolina and French Louisiana. Moll shows the border line as drawn by Delisle, and notes that Delisle was claiming territory for France which had already been claimed and settled by the English (Cumming, pp. 43-44). Moll includes blocks of descriptive text throughout this map, in an effort to give the viewer an accurate understanding of the region's geography and inhabitants. In the Midwestern regions, he describes the countryside and the Indians who lived there. On the Florida peninsula, he gives a detailed account of a slave-hunting expedition. He depicts California as an island, although only the southern portion of the island is shown. Moll's depiction of Texas and northern Mexico is quite detailed, and surprisingly accurate. In The Mapping of the American Southwest, Reinhartz & Colley point out that he was best at coastal geography in that region, "depicting with some accuracy the coastal features, barrier islands (e.g., Padre Island), and identifying rivers that empty into the Gulf of Mexico. The rivers often continue deep into the interior, where there is less detail, but Moll does indicate various Indian tribes. Most intriguing are Moll's notations. For example, he mentions several times the Spanish cattle gone wild (the famous Texas longhorns of later years) by noting 'Country full of Beeves' or 'This Country has vast and Beautiful Plains, all level and full of Greens, which afford Pasture to an infinite number of Beeves and other Creatures' in East Texas near the 'R. Salado.' Nearby also is noted, 'Many Nations [of Indians] on ye heads of this Branches [of several rivers] who use Horses and Trade with the French and Spaniards.'" This map is in good condition. There are some small cracks along the original creases, which have been expertly repaired. A vertical split from top to bottom on the left side has been repaired, and a small portion of the image (less than ½ inch wide) was redrawn by a restoration professional. The repairs are barely visible. Original outline hand coloring. $7000 SOLD
010rare: Beautiful Large 1823 Tanner Map of the World. This fascinating world map is from the fifth (1823) edition of Henry Tanner's American Atlas. The map is titled "The World on Mercator's Projection." While the names of individual countries are shown, Tanner focuses mainly on the physical world with little emphasis on political borders. Australia is labeled as "New Holland." Most of northern North America is not shown at all, because of the lack of available information about that region. Of particular interest in this map is the inclusion of 18th century explorers' routes (shown as dotted lines), and the dates of each expedition. A table in the lower left corner gives the estimated sizes of five continents-Europe, North & South America, Africa and Asia--as well as their populations. This map is in very good condition, with no tears, stains or other blemishes on the image. Very small tears on the top, bottom and right edges (none more than 1 inch long) are completely in the margins and do not affect the image at all. Paper size is 23x30 inches, and image size is 19x21 inches. $500
011rare: 1784 Map Shows Dismemberment of Poland in Process. Between the years of 1773 and 1795, Poland was claimed and divided by three of the great 18th century European powers: Prussia, Russia and Austria. This map, titled "Poland with its Dismember'd Provinces," was published by British cartographer Thomas Kitchin Sr. in 1784 - during the middle of the period of division. Each of the three powers' territorial claims is labeled on the map image, and the claimed areas are separately hand colored. This map is quite detailed. Cities, towns and small villages are shown, as well as geographical features. It is in very good condition, printed from a copper plate on hand-laid paper. There are no blemishes on the image. A small stain in the top margin extends onto the map border, but is barely noticeable. Several small tears on the right side of the image have been professionally repaired. The right margin is cut close to the map border. Size of the map is 17x20 in. $575
012rare: First Printed Chart of Brittany's Northern Coastline: 1583. This rare, beautiful chart is titled "Verthoninghe van de Zee Custen Van Bretaignen .…" It was published by Dutch cartographer L.J. Waghenaer in his 1583 "Spieghel Der Zeevaerdt," which was the first detailed chart book of western European coasts. The chart covers an area between the cities of St. Malo and Roscoff, on Brittany's northern shore. It was the first printed chart to cover that area of coastline. In addition to being historically significant, it is also extremely decorative. The water off shore contains sea monsters and sailing ships, and an intricate compass rose is in the middle of the image. On land, trees, fields and farm buildings can be seen. The chart title and scale of distances are surrounded by intricate designs. This chart is in excellent condition, and has been beautifully hand colored. 15x21 in. $3300
013rare: Detailed 1762 Tardieu Map of Quebec, Nova Scotia, Eastern Canada. This map of eastern Canada was drawn by J.B. Tardieu in 1762, and printed in 1777. The map is titled "Partie Orientale de L'Amerique Septentrionale." It covers an area from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the eastern tip of Lake Ontario, including the island of Acadie (now Nova Scotia). The cities of Quebec and Montreal are shown, as well as the locations of numerous forts. The area along the St. Lawrence River is covered by triangulation, and some examples of triangulation are shown in a small box at top left. Small rivers, lakes and other geographical features are shown in considerable detail. This map is in excellent condition, with no tears, stains or other blemishes. Size is 10x17 in. SOLD
014rare: 1640 Blaeu Map of Lorraine, in Eastern France. This beautifully hand colored, engraved map was published circa 1640 by Dutch mapmaker William Blaeu. It is titled "Lotharingia Ducatus; Vulgo Lorraine." The map image centers on the city of Nancy, with parts of Alsace and Burgundy on the far left side. Blaeu included considerable detail throughout the map, including fortified cities (shown surrounded by walls), small villages, wooded areas (indicated by groups of individually drawn trees), and rivers. In the lower right corner, a coat of arms is shown. This map is in excellent condition, with no tears, stains or other blemishes. Size is 15x19.5 in. $600
015rare: 1806 North America Map by John Cary: California labeled "New Albion." This map is titled "A New Map of North America from the Latest Authorities." It was drawn by John Cary, and published in 1806. On the east coast of the continent, the newly formed United States are shown extending to the Mississippi River. The French territory of Louisiana is just west of the Mississippi, and a large blank area covers most of what is now the Western and Midwestern US. The Rocky Mountains (labeled as the "Stony Mountains") are shown in the correct location, as are the Sierra Nevadas in "New Albion" (now known as California). In some areas near the Rocky Mountains, Cary has used dotted lines to draw the imagined courses of several unexplored rivers. He also includes the locations of forts inside the United States, and the names of several Indian tribes are shown in the areas where they lived. This map is in very good condition, with no tears, stains or other blemishes on the image. There is a small piece (approx. 3 inches) torn from the bottom margin, which has been professionally repaired and the image is not affected. In the left margin there is some very faint, old handwriting which also does not affect the image. This would be a wonderful map for anyone with an interest in early United States history. 20x24 in. $650
016rare: 1585 Ortelius Map Shows Portions of Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. This beautiful, engraved map was drawn by Abraham Ortelius in 1585, and printed in his 1588 "Theatro de la Tierra Universal." The map is titled "Thraeiae Veteris Typus." It covers an area that includes North Eastern Greece, Southern Bulgaria, and North West Turkey. Ortelius based this map on a 1560 map of Southeastern Europe, which was drawn by Gastaldi. He also used information from numerous ancient sources, including Herodotus, Pliny, Plutarch and Sidonius. In the upper and lower right corners, surrounded by elaborate decorations, Ortelius includes Latin text describing the landscape, cities and people of the region. This map is in very good condition, with beautiful hand coloring and no blemishes on the image. It would look wonderful in a frame! Size is 17x19 in. $625
017rare: 1592 Ortelius Map of Holland: Very Decorative. This fascinating, decorative map of Holland was drawn by Abraham Ortelius, and appeared in the 1592 edition of his "Theatrum." The map is titled "Hollandiae Antiquorum Catthorum Sedis Nova Descriptio." It shows Holland in great detail, including small towns, walled cities, rivers and lakes (many of which were reclaimed in the 17th century, and no longer exist). A coat of arms is in the upper left corner of the map image. In the ocean there are many sailing ships and smaller fishing boats. An intricate compass rose is in the upper middle area. This map is in very good condition, with beautiful hand coloring and no stains or tears on the image. There is a small diagonal crease in the upper right corner, which is not visually distracting. Size is 17x21 in. $1500
018rare: 1797 Thomas Jefferys Map of the Virgin Islands, Published by Laurie & Whittle: Shows Cross-Sections of Land. This engraved, hand-colored map is titled "The Virgin Islands from English and Danish Surveys." It was drawn in 1797 by Thomas Jefferys, with corrections and additions by Capt. James Waring, and published by the London firm of Laurie and Whittle. At the time of publication, half of the islands were under English control, and half were owned by the Danes. A key at the bottom of the map lists each of the islands, and tells which were Danish and which were British. At the top of the map image, there are numerous horizontal views of the islands as they appeared when viewed from the sea. There are also two small inset maps: a "Plan of Peter's Island," and the "Harbour or Road of Tortola." This map is in very good condition, with no tears or stains on the image. Size is 19x26 in. $1750 SOLD
019rare: 1730 Seutter North America Map with Inset of Gulf Coast, & "Mississippi Bubble" Cartouche. This fascinating map, published in 1730 by Mattheus Seutter, is titled "Accurata delineatio celeberrimae Regionis Ludovicianae vel Gallice Louisiane ol. Cauad' et Floridae adpellatione in Septemtrionali America." It shows most of North America from the East coast to Spanish-controlled New Mexico. The French territory of Louisiana, which is really the focus of this map, spans the area between New Mexico and the Appalachian Mountains. Seutter indicates the locations of European and Indian settlements, as well as major roads and geographical features throughout the continent. In the upper left-hand corner of the map, there is an inset map of the Louisiana coastline, from the Mississippi Delta to the Florida Panhandle. In the lower right corner, the map title is surrounded by a cartouche that represents the unhappy story of the "Mississippi Bubble," a stock scandal that financially ruined many Europeans in the early 1700s. The cartouche shows wealthy, hopeful investors standing to the left of a statue of Faith, who is pouring riches out of a large cornucopia. The investors are eagerly buying shares of stock from winged cherubs. Several more cherubs are seated on the ground, cutting piles of paper into stock shares. To the right of the statue, a group of impoverished, cheated investors watches sadly as a cherub dangles an empty purse before them. Beneath the cheated investors, two small children are blowing soap bubbles from pipes. This map is in very good condition with original hand coloring and no significant tears or blemishes. There is some very slight discoloration along the center crease, which is barely noticeable. Size is 19.5 x 22 in. $3500
020rare: Decorative 1798 Hawaiian Islands Map, by Cassini. Shows the Death of Captain Cook. This beautiful map of the Hawaiian Islands is titled "Le Isole di Sandwich sulle Observazoni del Cap. Cook." It was pubished in 1798 by Italian engraver Giovanni Cassini, as part of his three-volume world atlas. The map is based on British explorer James Cook's "Chart of the Sandwich Islands," which was drawn in 1779 shortly before Cook's death at the hands of Hawaiian islanders. Cassini embellished the map's title with an elaborate cartouche, illustrating the death of Cook. Several important details in the death scene are incorrect, however. The murderous islanders are depicted wearing feather headdresses, like North American Indians, and Cook is shown wearing an Italian naval officer's uniform. The map itself is quite detailed, and shows the route of Cook's expedition as it moved through the island chain. This item is in excellent condition, with no tears or other blemishes. Size is 14 x 19 inches. $9400
021rare: Circa 1730 Homann Heirs Western Hemisphere Map: California No Longer Shown as an Island. This map is titled "Totius Americae Septentrionalis et Meridionalis Novissima Representatio, Quam ex Singulis Recentium Geographorum Tabulis Collecta Luci Publicae Accomodavit." It is a revised version (circa 1730) of a map that was originally published in 1710 by Johann Baptiste Homann. Homann believed that California was an island off the West coast of North America, and he originally drew this map with an insular California. After his death in 1724, his son re-engraved the original plate to show California as part of the mainland. Very little was known about the West Coast at the time, so Homann's son did not attempt to include any geographical details in that part of the revised map. Remnants of the waterway that separated California from the continent in the original map can still be seen on this one; specifically a shaded area beneath the "Pays de Moozemleck" near what is now the U.S./Canadian border. The Great Lakes region is shown in considerable detail, as it was in the process of being explored by the French when this map was published. There are two very decorative, uncolored cartouches on the map image, and original hand coloring delineates the borders of European colonies in both North and South America. This map is in very good condition. A split along the lower portion of the center crease has been expertly repaired, with no image loss. The repair is almost unnoticeable. Size of the map is 19x22 in. $1500
022rare: Decorative 1649 Blaeu Map of the Frankfurt, Germany Region. This map of Frankfurt and vicinity is titled "Novam Hanc Territorii Francofurtensis Tabulam…." It was drawn by Joan and Cornelis Blaeu, and printed circa 1649. It is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful, ornamental maps ever published by the Blaeu firm. The city of Frankfurt is the most prominent feature on the map image, appearing as a miniature city plan surrounded by protective walls. Smaller towns are shown as well, with their locations indicated by buildings such as churches, castles and houses. Wooded areas appear as clusters of individual trees in the countryside. The entire map image is divided by the River Main, which runs horizontally from the left to right edges and cuts through the center of Frankfurt itself. The map is surrounded on all sides by the crests and coats of arms of local nobility. Four human figures named Pax, Concordia, Consilium and Iustitia appear at the top. The title is surrounded by a decorative cartouche at the bottom of the image. The verso of the paper contains printed text in Dutch. This map is in very good condition. Some small, professional repairs have been made to the back of the sheet, and they are almost unnoticeable. Over all, the map image is clean and clear. Original hand coloring brings out the many beautiful details of the engraving. Size is 18x22 inches. $2000
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