Maps, Atlases, and Related Material from Daniel Crouch Rare Books

Item 8 is a first state of the Oronce Fine world map of 1531, Nova, Et Integra Universi Orbis Descriptio. This map offered a new perspective, showing the world in two sections, from each of the two poles. It has its share of differences with the world as we know it today, but is still remarkable for such a short time after Columbus. The North Pole is encircled by four islands, but an open channel is seen between them and the North American and Asian continents. In other words, there was a northwest and northeast passage. However, neither would have led to much of anywhere except far northern lands, as Fine showed North America and Asia connected, affording no outlet from such passages to the Pacific Ocean. This misunderstanding is understandable as almost nothing was known of the west coast of North America at the time. The southern hemisphere displays a large, southern continent, “Terra Australis,” which is described (translated) as, “southern land recently found, but not yet fully known.” Crouch wonders where Fine got that information, for it would not be until two and one-half centuries later that Cook would confirm that there was no massive southern continent, and almost three centuries before the smaller one was actually discovered. Fine may have been jumping the gun based on the early belief there must be a large southern polar continent to balance the large land masses of the northern hemisphere, there being a limited amount of land then known to exist in the southern hemisphere. £60,000 ($95,693).

We next move forward to the time between Cook's discovery that there was no large southern continent, and the discovery of the smaller one. In 1791, Antoine Bruny d'Entrecasteaux was sent out to find the lost La Perouse expedition. La Perouse had embarked on a worldwide voyage a few years earlier, but disappeared after a stop in Botany Bay, Australia. However, while finding La Perouse was the main goal, the French also wanted to chart the waters and coastline of the entire continent then known as “New Holland” (today's Australia). Toward this end, they brought along hydrographer Charles-Francois Beautemps-Beaupré. The mission never found La Perouse, but that just afforded more time for Beautemps-Beaupré to focus on his responsibilities. In all, he produced 32 maps on his voyage. D'Entrecasteau died during the voyage back, and complications from the French Revolution delayed Beautemps-Beaupré's return until 1796. The official account, Voyage de d'Entrecasteaux, was not published until 1808. Item 36 is the atlas that accompanied that account, with maps by Beautemps-Beaupré. This copy had belonged to Vice-Admiral Denis Decres, Beautemps-Beaupré's mentor, and his need for maps would explain his having possessed the atlas separately. The book itself noted that it was published under the Ministry of Vice-Admiral Decres. £280,000 (US $446,975).

Item 40 includes one of the most important of American maps, but it is best known for the textual account of America's most significant internal exploration. It is the History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis & Clark... This is the official account, not published until 1812, of Lewis and Clark's expedition across the American Northwest. They had been sent there in 1804 by President Jefferson to explore the vast territories recently purchased from France through the Louisiana Purchase. Jefferson also wanted to know if there was a water passage through the continent to the Pacific Ocean. Offered is a first edition of this seminal work, often described as one of the key pieces for a collection of Americana. £90,000 (US $143,646).

Daniel Crouch Rare Books may be reached at +44 (0)1865 763337 or info@crouchrarebooks.com. Their website is found at www.crouchrarebooks.com.