Catalog Archive
Auction 147, Lot 150

"A Map of the Most Inhabited Part of New England, Containing the Provinces of Massachusets Bay and New Hampshire, with the Colonies of Conecticut and Rhode Island…", Lotter, Tobias Conrad

Subject: Colonial New England

Period: 1776 (dated)

Publication:

Color: Hand Color

Size:
38 x 40.2 inches
96.5 x 102.1 cm
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The title continues "Divided into Counties and Townships: The whole composed from Actual Surveys and its Situation adjusted by Astronomical Observations. Published by Tobias Conrad Lotter, in Augsburg." This is Lotter's German edition of one of the most detailed, accurate, and certainly most visually impressive, maps of New England. The map was originally published by Thomas Jefferys in 1755 (McCorkle #755-19), at the beginning of the French and Indian War. Jefferys' map was compiled by Braddock Mead (alias John Green) from influential contemporary sources, but curiously not including Douglass’ Plan of the British Dominions of New England in North America. Lotter's edition does not give attribution to Jefferys’ map, but is virtually identical. This pre-Revolutionary War map provides remarkable detail in the region from Long Island in the south up to 44°30’ to include Brunswick and George Fort. The map shows villages, towns, roads, counties, watershed, mountains and topography, and information along the coast, including islands and bays, and much more. The map includes two fine insets: "A Plan of the Town of Boston" and "A Plan of Boston Harbor" and a superb vignette of the Pilgrims' 1620 landing lies beneath the title cartouche. Engraved on four folded separate sheets, here joined.

References: McCorkle 776.16; Sellers & Van Ee #801; cf. Pritchard & Taliaferro #35.

Condition: C+

A nice impression with original color on watermarked paper with minor foxing at bottom. There is toning and soiling along vertical folds at far right and far left, with numerous separations, tears, and holes along the folds that have been closed on verso.

Estimate: $3,000 - $4,000

Sold for: $900

Closed on 11/20/2013

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