Rare Early 18th Century Map of The New World and American Colonies
CC-0511 – Rare Early 18th Century Map of The New World and American Colonies
Cartographer: Johann Baptist Homann
Published in Nuremberg, Germany
Map dimensions: Approx. 23-3/4″ Wide x 20-3/4″ Tall
Date of Publication/Printing: Circa 1714
Condition: Very Good
Description: The Latin text in the title block at the upper left hand corner of the map reads: “Regni Mexicani seu Novae Hispaniae Ludovicianae, N. Angliae, Carolinae, Virginiae, et Pensylvaniae nec non Insularum Archipelagi Mexicani in America Septentrionali accurata Tabula exhibita”
The translation in English reads: “The Kingdom of Mexico or New Spain, Louisiana, N. England, Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, as well as the Islands of the Mexican Archipelago in North America an accurate map of the North is shown”
This is a rare original map made by famous cartographer Johann Baptist Homann (1663-1724). This beautiful map shows what Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and North America looked like at the beginning of the 18th century.
Johann lived his entire life in Bavaria, particularly in Nuremberg. Initially, he trained to become a priest before converting to Protestantism and working as a notary.
In 1702, Johann founded a publishing house that specialized in engravings. The firm flourished, becoming the leading map publisher in Germany and an important entity in the European map market. In 1715, he was named Imperial Geographer to the Holy Roman Empire by Charles VI and made a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences.
One of the neatest features of this map are the dotted lines that illustrate the routes the Spanish Treasure Fleet took from the Spanish Colonies to Spain known as “The Spanish Main”.
If you look closely at the Northeast of what is now the United States, you see Virginia, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, and even Cape Cod. On the far left of the map, you see something really fascinating. If you look closely under the title block, you see the name “Cibola”. In the 16th century, the Spaniards believed this was the location of the fabled “Seven Cities of Gold”.
On the right you see a landscape scene with Native Americans trading with settlers. The Latin inscription under the scene translates to “The islands of the Antilles discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492”
On the lower left you see this amazing sea battle with a Spanish galleon firing its guns, sailors in long boats, and ships doing battle in the distance.
If you would like to see a great short video on this map, click on this link to our Instagram page.
In stock
$2,500.00
