Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - January - 2005 Issue

Antique Maps From Martyan Lan

North America as imagined in the 17th century, by Jailot and Mortier.

North America as imagined in the 17th century, by Jailot and Mortier.


Item 10 is a 1571 Montanus map, Arias Montanus Sacrae Geographiae Tabulam... This is a surprisingly accurate world map, originally included with a Bible, designed to show the repopulation of the world by Noah's descendants. In a precursor to modern beliefs, there's a land bridge across the Bering Straits where the Americas' earliest inhabitants crossed from Asia. And, in a more amazing projection, there is a continent where Australia is located, though Europeans did not discover it for another 30 years. It is not known whether this was pure speculation or information learned from some unrecorded voyage. $20,000.

Item 23 is a late 17th century North American map from Jaillot and Mortier, Amerique Septentrionale divisee en ses Principales Parties... This is an exquisite large (22+" x 34+") map that will look so good on your wall you can ignore the numerous inaccuracies. Among the oddities are two Mississippi Rivers, the Colorado River emanates from the Great Salt Lake, there is a large lake in Georgia, and, of course, California is an island. Also, boundaries were a bit different then. Florida shares a long boundary on its north with Canada, and to its west and southwest with New Mexico and Mexico. Today, Florida is just a fraction of what it once was, Canada, like the glaciers, has receded to the north, and New Mexico no longer borders on the Pacific, but in return, dozens of new states have come into existence. $10,500.

Item 116 is a rare Mexican atlas, Atlas Geografico, Estadistico E Historico De La Republica Mexicana... From 1858, it is the first Mexican atlas produced and printed in Mexico, specifically, Mexico City. $14,500.

Martayan Lan may be found on the internet at www.martayanlan.com or reached by phone at 212-308-0018.

Rare Book Monthly

  • ALDE, Mar. 11: AUGUSTIN (Saint). De civitate Dei. Rome, Konrad Sweynheym et Arnold Pannartz, 1470. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [REGNART (LE LIVRE DE)]. [Le] Docteur en malice, maistre Regnard, demonstrant les ruzes et cautelles qu'il use envers les personnes… Rouen, 1550. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: TRITHÈME (JEAN). Polygraphie et universelle escriture cabalistique. Paris, [Benoît Prévost pour] Jacques Kerver, 1561. €8,000 - €10,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: CAUS (SALOMON DE). La Perspective, avec la raison des ombres et des miroirs. Londres, John Norton, 1612.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: NICERON (JEAN-FRANÇOIS). La Perspective curieuse ou magie artificielle des effets merveilleux de l'optique. Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1638. €6,000 - €8,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: VONTET (JACQUES). L’Art de trancher la viande et toute sorte de fruits… S.l.n.d. [probablement Lyon, vers 1647]. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: HUGO (VICTOR). [Paysage spectral avec une église], [vers 1837]. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [HERVEY DE SAINT-DENYS (LÉON D')]. Les Rêves et les Moyens de les diriger. Observations pratiques. Paris, Amyot, 1867. €3,000 - €4,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: GACHET (PAUL-FERDINAND). Les Chats de Gachet (Manuscrit). S.d. [avant mai 1873]. €6,000 - €8,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [REDON (ODILON)]. PICARD (EDMOND). Le Juré. Monodrame en cinq actes… Bruxelles, Mme veuve Monnom, 1887. €7,000 - €9,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (HENRI DE) ET HENRI-GABRIEL IBELS]. MONTORGUEIL (GEORGES). Le Café-concert. Paris, [1893]. €4,000 - €5,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [TERRY (EMILIO)]. Projet de fontaine. Dessin original au stylo et à l'encre noire. 1938. €2,000 - €3,000.

Review Search

Archived Reviews