Item 66 is a late 17th century Alexis Jaillot (taken from Nicolas Sanson) map, Amerique Septentrionale (North America). This large-scale map divides America into its major territories. Indeed, there is a point where Florida, Canada, and New Mexico meet! That hasn't happened in a long time, but this goes back to the time when California was still an island. That gulf was bridged three centuries ago. This map does begin to show internal features missing from earlier ones. It contains five Great Lakes, though their placement changed dramatically over the years. Still missing is the Northwest, and rather than invent outlines for the unknown, Sanson/Jaillot left the map blank in the upper left corner. £3,500 (US $5,609).

 

Item 127 is an example of one of those "cartefacts." It is a pincushion, circa 1810, featuring maps from Robert Miller. It is a medallion-style cushion, that is, round but with flat surfaces. On one side is a map of England and Wales, the other displays a map of Ireland. £800 (US $1,279).

 

Item 149 is A Modern Atlas, From The Latest And Best Authorities… at least as of 1815. This is the large, folio atlas from John Pinkerton, the first and only edition of his atlas in this size. Pinkerton drew on the work of the Arrowsmiths and others to create his maps, but the large size affords room for great detail. There are 60 double-page maps, including hemispheric and polar projections, along with various areas of Europe, Arabia, China, India, Japan and Australia. There are 14 maps of the New World, including very detailed renderings of the North American Southwest and southeastern states. £7,800 (US $12,468).

 

Jonathan Potter Limited Antique Maps may be reached at info@jpmaps.co.uk or +44 (0)20 7491 3520. The website is found at www.jpmaps.co.uk.