A NEW MAP OF THE WORLD WITH CAPTAIN COOK'S TRACKS, his discoveries and those of the other circumnavigators

Description

Copper engraving by W[illiam] Palmer with original hand colour. "Published 12th April 1808, by Laurie & Whittle, No. 53 Fleet Street", [1808]. This edition, 'Corrected to 1812', published 1813-4.

Image size: 480mm x 720mm - 19" x 28 1/4" approx.

In generally good condition: a crisp impression, colour still bright, centre-fold barely evident. Small tears to extremities (none of which impinge on the image) repaired on reverse with acid-free tape. A crease (barely visible and most likely caused when the sheet was originally printed) runs vertically from centre left to centre of image. Borders at left and right quite tight: left, 5mm; right, 7mm. There are two matching stains to the corners at bottom left and right.

This map ('Improved and corrected to 1812') appeared as Plate 1 in the third (and final) edition of 'A New and Elegant Imperial Sheet Atlas',  published in London by James Whittle & Robert Laurie in 1813-1814.

This is an elegant, decorative and highly desirable double-hemisphere map of the Old and New Worlds. The roundels themselves are set in a trompe l'oeil edifice decorated with palms, native costume and weaponry. It clearly shows, as its title promises, the tracks of Captain Cook's voyages of discoveries made between 1768 and 1780. Lines of longitude and latitude are shown. The countries of the world are coloured variously with delicate washes of blue, green, orange, pink and yellow. Australia is divided centrally into New Holland and New South wales, and its outline is quite accurately drawn. Van Diemans Land is separated from the main continent by 'Basses Straight'. New Zealand, too, is accurately drawn. Europe and Eurasia and parts of Asia show the most detail. The coasts of Africa, North and South America and much of south-east Asia are quite accurately depicted, whilst the detail of the interiors, apart from the names and courses of rivers along with the occasional settlement is sparse.

Scarce.

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