Highlights of the Map Collection of Grace Galleries, Harpswell, Maine

	Click on map thumbnails for larger views Maps worthy of an interior decorator's attention!

G. BLAEU Nova Hispania et Nova. Gallicia Amstd. 1635. Colored. 15X19. Strikingly handsome map of Mexico decorated with two sailing galleons and a compass rose in the ocean offshore. French text on verso. Reference M&CA102 - $1,200

L. RENARD Magnum Mare Del Zur Cum Insula California; De Groote Zuyd-Zee Ent California Amstd c.1715. Colored 19" x 22". Reference PAC103 - $5,000

ORTELIUS Hispaniae Novae Sivae Magnae, Recens Et Vera Descriptio Anvers 1579-81. Colored. 13 x 19" Reference M&CA110 - $1,800

M. SEUTTER Nova Designato Insulae Jamaicae Ex Antillanis Americae Septentrion. non Postremae Secundum Gubernationes Suas Accuratas aeri incisa et Publici juris facta a Matthaeo Seuttero Sac Caes. Et Reg. Cathol. Maj. Geogr. Augustae Vindel. Augsburg. 1745. Colored. 9X22. Very handsome map of the island of Jamaica, by a premier 18th century mapmaker, Mathias Seutter (1678-1756.) The map shows Jamaica's Precincts with detailed topographical features of mountains, forests, rivers & small settlements, and around the coasts the map indicates harbors, bays with depth soundings, shoals & small offshore islands. A prominent & stunning feature of the map is the beautiful scene surrounding the title in lower right, depicting natives working at their day-to-day activities in their natural habitat, surrounded by mountains and a landscape with palm trees. At the base of the map waves break on the shoreline and a mermaid appears rising from the sea. This is a striking map in glorious color that includes a colorful compass rose with fleur-de-lys pointer. CARIB247D - $1,800
T. C. LOTTER �Pennsylvania. Nova Jersey Et Nova York Cum Regioniibus Ad Fluvium Delaware in America Sitis. Nova Delineatione Ob Oculos Prosita per Tob. Conr..Lotter Geographum. Aug. Vind.� Augsburg c. 1745. Colored. 23X19�. Very handsome map depicts hills & rivers throughout New Jersey & includes Philadelphia & part of Pennsylvania and Delaware Bay from it's entrance at Cape May. The Hudson or North River is shown flowing into New York Harbor, with Long Island & Long Island Sound off the coast of Connecticut. Evidently, wanting to include the coastal northeast regions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire & Maine the cartographer/engraver distorted them & squeezed them into the top right side of the map sheet, with Cape Cod shown coming out of Connecticut. In the lower right is a listing of places on the map such as major cities, creeks, hills, savages (Indians) with their German/English meanings & in top left is a large title cartouche depicting the bounty of the New World, which it was thought may have been drawn on the map to encourage German settlers to come to America. The map includes a decorative compass rose, and is one of the earliest maps to show New Jersey on such a large scale. Finely engraved with early color and in very nice condition. Published by Tobias Conrad Lotter (1717-1777) Augsburg c. 1745 in his "Atlas Novus Sive Tabulae E. Geographicae." USE146 - $4,250
USE134 - P. VAN DER Aa �Jonathan Dickenson's Ramspoedige Reystogt van Jamaika na Pensylvania Nagespoord.� Leiden. c. 1714. Colored. 6X9. This curious little map oriented with north on the left side, was published by Pieter Van Der Aa (1659-1733) a prolific map publisher and bookseller of Leiden; and shows a somewhat fanciful depiction of the Southeast United States from Nantucket Island and the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts, down to New York, Staten Island and Long Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Carolina, Florida, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola and the Bahamas. The title is on a stone pillar in a landscape scene with natives watching the crew of a beached sailing vessel, carry items ashore from the ship, with others resting around a camp fire. The map also includes an early depiction of Lake Erie and Delaware and Chesapeake Bays with the city of Philadelphia spelled �Filadelphia�. St. Augustine is noted on the coast of Florida & the Bahamas are called Lucayae Ins. In the 18th century the works of Pieter Van Der Aa were not considered prime quality maps, as many of them were derivatives of the works of other cartographers, but they were always extremely decorative which made them ultimately collector's items despite their inaccuracies! From �Naaukeurige Versameling der Gedenk-Waardigste Zee en Land-Reysen.� $1,285
J. JANSSON �NOVA ANGLIA, NOUVM BELGIUM, ET VIRGINIA.� Amstd. 1636. Colored. 15X19�. This very attractive early map is one of the first maps to show Lake Superior in it's entirety, & off it, & connected by rivers are 3 other Lakes which may be Lakes Michigan, Huron & Lake Erie. Another Lake is pictured at the head of the Delaware River but at this point the names of the Lakes are open to conjecture. The North River (later Hudson) is depicted flowing south to New York Harbor where the names Manbattes (Manhattan) & N. Amsterdam are printed on a map for the first time. Manhattan's East River is depicted with the name Helle Gaet (Hell Gate) along it's course & Long Island is shown as 3 islands while Long Island is called Archipelago. Further up the coast beyond Cape Cod is Nieuw Engeland where present day Maine is called Norembegua. From New York south the map extends to Chesapeake Bay with it's entrance at Cape Charles & Cape Henry & from there the coastline continues southward to Virginia & North Carolina. An important feature of the map shows how little was known of America's Northeast regions when the English and Dutch first settled colonies along the coast, & when this map was printed the Dutch cartographers had not had access to Champlain's maps of the Northeast. The map has a handsome title cartouche in upper left decorated with scrolls, leaves, shells & ribbon motifs & in lower right is a mileage scale with the author's name Johannes Janssonius Excudit printed at the base. The map is from the Gerardi Mercatoris et I. Hondii Atlas. English Edition with English text on verso by Jan De Laet (1593-1649). A beautiful, classic map in fine condition. (ref. �The Mapping of North America� by Philip Burden. #247.) USE147 - $4,225
WOR155 - R. DE VAUGONDY �Mappe Monde ou Description du Globe Terrestre dressee sur Les Memoires les plus Nouveaux et Assujettie aux Observations Astronomiques. Par le Sir Robert De Vaugondy, fils.� Paris. 1752. Outline color. 18�X27�. Very handsome double hemisphere map by Robert de Vaugondy (1686-1766) and his son Didier (1723-1786) shows the Eastern and Western Hemispheres bisected by the line of the Equator and depicting the routes of Admiral George Anson's ship �The Centurion� in 1740-1743, from England, around Cape Horn and up the west coast of South and Central America to Acapulco in search of the Spanish Treasure Galleons sailing between Acapulco and Manilla. In 1743 Anson sighted the treasure ship the �Nuestra Senora de Covadonga� off the Philippines and after only a 90 minute engagement the Spaniard struck her flag and surrendered. Her treasure which was reputed to be over half a million pounds (sterling) made Anson wealthy for life. This chart also shows the tracks of the �L'Aigle et La Marie� in 1738-9 and depicts Australia still uncharted and attached to New Guinea in the north. A note on Australia's eastern coast says �cotes conjecturees� or �as yet unknown�. The title in top center of this superb map, is surrounded by mythical figures, angels with trumpets and a large stone engraved tablet held up by figures on pedestals, and the same theme is continued in bottom center where cherubs are holding another engraved tablet with titles. From Robert De Vaugondy's �Atlas Universel�. Fine condition. (ref. Bel et Utile by Mary Pedley, 1992 and �The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea� Edited by Peter Kemp.) $1,850
FR122 - MERIAN - $290 Botanicals like images left & right, can be seen on Early 18th. Century Hand colored Views & Botanicals

20 West Cundy's Point Road Harpswell, ME 04079 Phone (207) 729-1329 - Fax (207) 729-0385 E-mail jackie@gracegalleries.com Home Page Category Listings About Antique Maps

This page was last updated on March 28th, 2010
Webmaster, John W. Snowe, Harpswell, Maine 
john@harpswell.com