Item number: NAM286
Genuine Antique Map
c. 1915
Maker: Gaston Morel lith.
Antique "reduction fac-simile" of a rare and fascinating map of North America. Gaston Morel lith. circa 1890-1915. This map is rare in its own right- the only known examples are in libraries and collections. According to our data, this map has not appeared on the market in many decades. According to the Archives de Montreal, this map was published in the Magazine of American History, which ran from 1877-1917. This antique recreation is based on a map by explorer Louis Jolliet, and shows North America from the mouth of the St. Lawrence to the Mississippi Delta. The map was produced from memory, following its author's exploration in 1673-74, and includes a dedication to the Count of Frontenac. It was drawn after Louis Jolliet’s canoes overturned within sight of Montreal, at the conclusion of the voyage he made with Jacques Marquette to map the Mississippi River Valley and to follow the river to the Gulf of Mexico. Jolliet tragically lost his logbooks and maps on this disastrous occasion, although he drew another – now lost – map based on his voyage, upon which this a later copy was based (the copy is in the collection of the John Carter Brown Library). It is a tremendously important cartographic representation of the European geographic knowledge of the North American interior for two reasons: it marks a pivotal move inland from the east coast, which continued to be a preoccupation for Europeans, and it represents the absorption of indigenous geographic knowledge by the French and a significant advance in French-indigenous political, social and economic alliances. This version was published with vibrant printed colors based on the colors in the original. Very good condition, this map seems to have been restored by a previous owner. It is backed on a light-weight fabric. Measures approx. 16.25 x 21.5 inches to the paper edges.
Genuine Antique Map from c. 1915
Item Number: NAM286