Chatelain’s map of French possessions in the U.S. in full color
Carte de la Nouvelle France, ou se voit le Cours des Grandes Rivieres de S. Laurens & de Mississipi Aujour d’hui S. Louis, aux Environs des Quelles se Trouvent les Etats, Pais, Nations, Peuples &c…
Out of stock
Description
Derived from Nicholas de Fer’s important four-sheet map of 1718, this is the most informative map of the French possessions in North America in the early 18th century. Louisiana and the Mississippi Valley are based on Delisle’s manuscript map of 1701, while the geography of New England and eastern Canada originates with Franquelin.
Inset at top left is a large-scale map of the Mississippi Delta and Mobile Bay, based on the voyage of Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville. Another inset plan and view of Quebec is enclosed in a very decorative cartouche at bottom right.
The map is filled with wildlife, scenes of Indians hunting, Indian villages and notations, and the oceans are embellished with numerous ships, canoes and sea monsters. It was issued to promote the recently established Compagnie Francoise Occident, which was formed to fund the debt of Louis XIV and offered inducements to encourage settlement in Louisiana.
Cartographer(s):
Henri Abraham Chatelain (1684 – 1743) was a Protestant pastor (Huguenot) from Paris who, due to his faith, was forced to flee his native France. He settled first in London and later in Holland, where he worked from both The Hague and Amsterdam during the early 18th century. While his primary calling was as a preacher, his Atlas Historique became a huge success, partly due to the vivacious decoration and abundance of information on his charts.
Condition Description
Superb impression and color on watermarked paper with one minor crease and faint offsetting.
References
Verner and Stuart-Stubbs #11; Kershaw #332; McCorkle #719.4.
