L'AMERIQUE MERIDIONALE ET SEPTENTRIONALE
£485
Attractive and detailed map of the Americas is a reduced derivative of De Fer's classical wall map of 1698 with information gathered from the archives of the Academie Royale des Sciences. The island of California covers the entire west coast of North America north of the Tropic of Cancer with two large imaginary islands off shore. One of the prominent features in northern Mexico is Les Mine de S. Iean et de Ste. Barbe, the legendary Santa Barbara mines of the Chihuahua-Durango region. There are several large spurious lakes on both continents. A partial coastline of New Zealand appears beside the title cartouche. The map is richly decorated with three cartouches and a compass rose.
Excellent hand colour
Very good condition
References: Burden #759; McLaughlin #135, Pastoureau, FER I D; Tooley (Amer) #61, p. 126.
code : M4841
Cartographer : DE FER Nicolas
Date : 1717 Paris
Size : 23*34 cms
availability : Available
Price : £485
Nicolas de Fer (1646-1720) was the son of Antoine de Fer, also a map engraver and colourist in his own right who had worked with Nicolas Berey and acted as an editor for Pierre Duval's "Cartes De Geographie ..." of 1657. However, it was Nicolas who was to become one of the most prolific publishers of his time.
De Fer was able to make the publishing business flourish and in 1690 he was nominated as geographer to the Dauphin - their relationship had reciprocal benefits with De Fer producing, in effect, royal propaganda concerning the Dauphin's lands with each publication enhancing his own name and reputation, as well as that of the Dauphin. When the Duke of Anjou ascended the throne in 1702, De Fer had the dual title of "geographe du roi d'Espagne et du Dauphin".
De Fer published a number of atlases including the "Cotes de France" of 1690 (containing Tassin's maps) and the "Forces de l'Europe ou Introduction a la fortification", also of 1690, that reinforced his abilities and success with the buying public. Subsequent publications included the "Petit et Nouveau Atlas", which appeared in 1697, followed by the "Atlas Curieux". The "Atlas Curieux" was well-known and popular, being expanded in successive editions between 1700 and 1705, and was re-edited in 1714 and 1716 under the title "Suite de l'Atlas Curieux". De Fer also produced a number of folio maps that appeared in the "Atlas ou Recueil de cartes", which was published in 1709.
