Letters
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| Dear Editor
I've enjoyed browsing your site this evening and wish to inquire if
you have any prints depicting the ships or ship lanes traveled by the vessels
of John Law's company, the Compagnie d' Occident; established in 1717.
In your article entitled, "John Law and the Mississippi Bubble" you
mentioned several cartographers who issued maps/charts of the day; and
specifically one or two who may have created charts pertaining to my request.
Don MacKay
| The Editor: I am not aware of any printed maps that show routes
of French ships to North America: not many merchant captains would be pleased
to have their routes publicised! |
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| Dear Editor
As an archaeologist working in southern New England, I have discovered
a "Dutch fort" in Branford, Connecticut. My discovery came from reading
the entire collection of Ezra Stiles,. However Sir Robert Dudley shows
the fort at "Roduins" in the 1646 map of New Belgium. Is there
a journal, diary or log that goes along with the Dudley's Dell'arcano
del mare?
The fortifications in Branford appear to pre-date the English settlement
in Connecticut, possibly quite significantly. An information would be appreciated.
Dr. John Pfeiffer
| The Editor: Dudley's 'Dell'Arcano del Mare' is a multi-volume
handbook on matters marine rather than a record of particular journeys,
so there are no accompanying journals, logs or the like with the series
of sea-charts. 'Rodwins' is engraved on the southern coast of New
England, facing the eastern end of Long Island.
Dudley's charts are most frequently compilations from existing manuscript
or printed maps and charts. His chart of 'Nuoua Belgia' is largely based
on Blaeu's New England (1635) but I could not see that name on the Blaeu.
As there are few other printed maps of the region at this time, the source
may be manuscript, in which case there is little chance of identifying
the origin of the name. |
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| Dear Editor
On a recent trip to Italy, I found a reproduction of French map of the
Mediterranean Sea, African Sea and Occidental Ocean. The map has
ports, gulfs and bancs sketched in great detail in boxes around the edge.
It is written in French and seems to be commissioned after a war.
There is no date on the map and it looks as if the cartographer was Pierre
Mortier. The name of the map is Carte Nouvelle De La Mer Mediteranee.
Melissa Warren
The Editor: Pieter Mortier (d.1711) was a Frenchman who
settled in Amsterdam, where he established himself as one of the leading
map-publishers of his day. Four of the principal atlases he published (there
are several more) were:
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Atlas Nouveau, first published in 1692, re-issued in 1696, 1700,
and thereafter. This was published in conjunction with the French mapmaker
Alexis Hubert Jaillot, who supplied the map, while Mortier engraved and
published them, bearing Jaillot's address. Most of the maps are on two
large sheets of paper joined, so the atlas is described as elephant folio.
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Neptune Francois, published in 1693; this was a pirated edition
of the French Admiralty's Neptune Francois, a series of charts of the sea-coasts
of western Europe from Scandinavia to Gibraltar. Again in elephant folio
format.
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Suite Du Neptune Francois... (1700), charts of the other countries
of the world. Elephant folio format.
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Atlas Maritime, first published in 1694 (although the title-page
is dated 1693), with nine charts etched by Romein de Hooghe, one of the
greatest exponents of that craft; the 'Atlas Maritime' was not intended
for practical use, but rather as a lavishly produced library piece, which
was dedicated toWilliam of Orange (William III of England).
Koeman,. the authority on Dutch publishing wrote: "The Neptune Francois
and its second part Cartes Marines a l'usage du Roy de la Grande Bretagne
(the
Atlas
Maritime) was the most expensive sea-atlas ever published in Amsterdam
in the 17th century. Its charts are larger and more lavishly decorated
than those of any preceding book of this kind. For the engraving and etching
Mortier had used the most qualified artists. Romein de Hooghe did the decorations
on the charts in the second part" (Atlantes Neerlandici, vol. IV,
p.424).
These four volumes are frequently found together, and form a very impressive
group.
Your chart of the Mediterranean is the first chart from the Atlas
Maritime; with its inset views of important towns and ports of the
Mediterranean world, it is the largest and most striking chart of the Mediterranean
that I know of, and well worth the $25. |
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| Dear Editor
I am searching for information on John Boydell's engravings. The information
so far has revealed he was indeed famous for his engravings of people,
landscapes and maps.
I have an original (sealed in original frame) engraving entitled: A
North View of the Cities of London and Westminister, with part of Highgate
taken from Hampstead near the Spainards. Published June 10, 1780 by John
Boydell. Commissioned by John Boydell. One of the engravers name (bottom
right) Daniel Lerpiniere (Feulspit - German/Engraver).
Linda Richelieu Wilhelm
| The Editor: John Boydell 1719-1804
Boydell was an engraver and publisher whose success enabled him to become
Lord Mayor of London in 1790.
The earliest date on any of his prints is 1744, and he continued to
engrave until about 1767, but he started to commission other engravers
to create plates for him to publish. The first notable engraving was Woollett's
plate after Wilson's ‘Niobe,’ published in 1761, for which Boydell agreed
to pay £100, ‘an unheard of price, being considerably more than I
had given for any copperplate.’ The prints sold for only 5 shillings (quarter
of £1), but sales earned Boydell £2,000. Following this success
Boydell could afford the best English engravers: his firm employed Earlom,
Woollett, Valentine Green, John Smith, and Heath. Woollett’s ‘Death of
General Wolfe’, engraved after West’s painting, earned receipts of £15,000.
However an ambitious project caused his downfall. In 1786 he started
a series of prints from Shakespeare to be published by subscription, after
pictures he commissioned from English painters. He built a gallery
in Pall Mall dedicated to the series, and by 1802, the year of publication,
the Shakespeare Gallery was exhibiting 162 paintings. However war with
France has caused Boydell’s lucrative print selling trade in Europe to
disappear, and the cost of the Shakespeare series put him in serious financial
difficulties. In 1804 he got permission from parliament to dispose of his
property by a lottery consisting of 22,000 tickets, all of which were sold.
He paid his debts, but he died at his house in Cheapside on 12 Dec. 1804,
before the lottery was drawn.
Boydell was very influential: his “History of the River Thames”,
1796, helped start a vogue for expensive books of coloured views, using
aquatint to imitate watercolour paintings. He is now the most famous English
print publisher and all his works are highly collectable.
You might also like to know that the Spaniard's Inn is still in Hampstead
Lane, still in the buildings that existed in Boydell's time. It acts as
a very effective bottleneck on a very busy road! |
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| Dear Editor
I have enjoyed your articles on Munster. Recently I saw a map
of the City of Amsterdam dated c. 1560. It was Munster's copy
of a map drawn c. 1540. Done from a birdseye view it showed the area
that is now the Central Railway Station, part of the port and ships
sailing up what now is Rakin Street. Can you tell me where in all
these publications, this lovely map fits?
Fredric Shauger
| The Editor: The plan was issued in the 'Cosmographia',
in editions from 1550 onwards, and is signed by the woodblock cutter Heinrich
Holzmuller. The original plan was drawn by Cornelis Anthoniszooon and published
in Amsterdam in 1544. The original version was on 12 sheets, and
very few examples are known today |
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| Dear Editor
I have an enquiry about a map of Dalmatia: on the title it is written
that the map is by Sanson, but it is also written that it was completed
at the house of Pierre Mariette in Paris, so who is the maker of this map?
M.C.
The Editor: The map is credited in the title as
being drawn by Nicolas Sanson (1600-1667), the greatest French cartographer
of his generation, and published by
Pierre Mariette in Paris. Just by the foot of the putti on the left
can be seen the name of the engraver, Lhulier.
The title loosely translates as 'Coast of Dalmatia, where are shown
the places belonging to the Repubic of Venice, the Republic of Ragusa and
the Turkish Sultan, drawn from various authors by Mr. Sanson of Abbevile,
Geographer in Ordinary to the French King [published] in Paris at the [publishing]
house of Pierre Mariette in the Rue St. Jacques at [the sign of] l'Esperance
with the privilege of the King for twenty years 1664.'
The map appeared in Sanson's folio atlas 'Cartes Generales De Toutes
Les Parties Du Monde ...', first published in 1658; the map of Dalmatia
was one of a number of maps, particularly of eastern Europe, added to the
1665 edition. |
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| Dear Editor
I have a silk escape map from WWII. Approximately what is it worth?
Mark Morales
| The Editor: Silk maps are not something I know about,
as they are a little too recent for my interest. Perhaps you should try
a dealer in Militaria rather than map dealers.
We have been receiving a number of letters requesting valuations of
maps. As it is almost impossible to give an accurater assessment without
handling the maps we are unable to assist with these queries. We advise
that anyone wishing such a valuation look through our advertisers to find
either a dealer local to themselves or one near the location shown
on the map. We warn our readers that the a dealer will expect to see the
map before giving a firm valuation and would expect a fee for an insurance
valuation. |
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| Dear Editor: I would appreciate your assistance in identifying the
source of a colored map (ca 1890s?) which depicts the track taken by Columbus
during his four voyages across the Atlantic. The title reads: Carta
del Oceano Atlantico con los derietores que seguio El Almirante D. Cisdtobal
Colon en sus cuatre viagjes de Descubrimiento, Espasa y Compania, Editores,
Barcelona. It is 18" by 24" and is folded as if it had been attached
to a book.
Arduino Winslow.
| The Editor: I'm afraid I have no idea: Spanish is
not a language I can read so my knowledge of books on Columbus in that
language is minimal. Do we have any Spanish readers who can help? |
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