Vandermaelen was the son of a wealthy industrialist who abandoned his father's business to follow a career in cartography. His goal was to produce the first atlas ever published in which every map was drawn on the same projection and to the same scale (1: 1,641,836), with each map covering an area of approximately 20 degrees of longitude (from Paris) and 6 degrees of latitude. Because of the consistent scale and projection, the maps could be joined together to form a huge globe that would measure over 25 feet in diameter. Vandermaelen had the only known globe constructed from his maps, requiring a special room for its display. It was also the first lithographic atlas ever published. There was one edition of the atlas, published in 1825-27, and the subscription list shows that only 810 copies were sold. Koeman called his Atlas Universel, "One of the most remarkable world atlases ever made. Far ahead of its time."

This lot includes 4 uncommon maps of New Guinea from Vandermaelen's landmark atlas. No. 22 depicts West Papua, the western end of New Guinea and includes several surrounding islands as well. No. 23 focuses on West Papua and its surroundings. There is little to no inland detail, except for Seram Island's central mountain range. Soundings appear along the coasts. No. 30 zooms in on Torres Strait, naming several of the tiny islands in between Papua New Guinea and Australia. There are depth soundings and extensive notes in French. No. 31 centers on the Solomon Sea and shows the northeastern coast of Papua New Guinea and several islands, including the Trobriand Islands and the southern tip of New Britain. It also includes a block of French text.

References:

Condition: A

Original outline color with wide margins. There is a hint of offsetting and a few faint spots.