Subject: World
Period: 1764 (published)
Publication: La Petit Atlas maritime
Color: Black & White
Size:
13.6 x 8.8 inches
34.5 x 22.4 cm
A boldly engraved copper plate chart of the world on Mercator's projection. North America is shown with a large Mer de l'Ouest with two outlets to the Pacific. The entire region above the Sea of the West is blank with no shoreline, keeping alive the faint hope for a Northwest Passage. A short span of isolated coastline approximately located in the Alexander Archipelago is called Terras viies par les Russes with a few islands to the northwest noted as discovered in 1728. Australia is labeled Nouvelle Hollande with Terre de Diemen linked to the mainland by dotted lines. New Zealand is in an early depiction with just one portion of the west coast shown. The map is decorated with a rococo-style title cartouche.
References:
Condition: B+
Good impression printed on thick hand laid paper with very wide margins and grape-style watermark. With some scattered foxing and a small printer's crease just reaching neatline at bottom. A terrific example.