A New & Correct Chart of all the Known World. Laid down according to Mercator's Projection. Exhibiting all the late Discoveries & Improvements : The whole being Collected from the most Authentic Journals Charts &c
London: WOODWARD, T.[homas?] et al. 1744-48
Size (neatline): 45.7 x 36.5 cm / 18.0 x 14.4 in
Size (sheet): 47.7 x 41.3 cm / 18.8 x 16.3 in
Technique: Copper engraving
Colour: Hand coloured
Verso: Blank
Condition: Very good
An attractive chart of the world by one of England’s most prolific mapmakers
Description
This detailed sea chart, drawn on Mercator’s projection, has a strong maritime focus. It features a decorative title cartouche, four compass roses, and numerous rhumb lines. Geographical detail is concentrated along the coastlines, similar to portolan charts.
Hallmarks include:
- Northwest North America is shown as Parts Undiscovered, with its coastline undefined, still allowing for the possibility of a northwest passage.
- Greenland’s northern coastline is incomplete, with Spitsbergen/Svalbard labeled “Spitsbergen or Greenland”, thus implying that it could be part of Greenland.
- The northeastern coastline of Novaya Zemlya is incomplete.
- Northeast Asia is starting to take shape.
- Hokkaido is named Yepso, i.e. a spelling variant of its historical name of Ezo.
- To the east of Hokkaido, the cartographic myth of De Gama’s Land appears. To the south of it, Company’s Land is shown – a mapping mistake that resulted from misunderstanding and amalgamation of early Dutch explorers’ information pertaining to the coastlines of Sakhalin, the Kurils, and Hokkaido.
- The Sea of Japan is named Sea of Corea, and the Sea of Okhotsk – Sea of Kamchatka.
- Australia is shown as New Holland, with New Guinea and Tasmania (Van Diemens Land) attached to it, and with its eastern and southern coastlines highly conjectural.
- New Zealand appears with a small, not further defined stretch of western coastline. There is no suggestion as to the existence of two separate islands.
A wonderful chart of the world with many notable features.
Publication
Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca : Or, a complete collection of voyages and travels. …
Note: Image shows pagination annotation (Vol. I. Page 1.) in top left corner.
Condition
Very good.
A sharp impression on a sheet issued folding, now flattened. Beautiful colouring in outline, to cartouche, and to embellishments. Even toning throughout, slightly more pronounced along centrefold. A few minor spots across image. On verso, professionally repaired short splits to centrefold top and bottom, mostly confined to blank margin and not affecting image. Else clean.
Item #: 00685
US $1,100.00