Herman Moll: A New and Exact Map of the Dominions of the King of Great Britain on ye Continent of North America
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Cartographer:
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Herman Moll
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Title:
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A New and Exact Map of the Dominions of the King of Great Britain on ye Continent of North America
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Date:
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1715
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Published:
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London
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Width:
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27 inches / 69 cm
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Height:
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43 inches / 110 cm
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Map ref:
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USA9084
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Description:
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Famous as 'The Beaver Map', after it's large vignette of industrious beavers working away in front of Niagara Falls, this is one of the most sought after of the 18th century maps of the Eastern Seaboard.
Herman Moll's maps manage to geographically and decoratively epitomise the era in which they were made. The conflicting territorial claims of the French and English make this a crucial period in the mapping of North America and Moll refers to the Treaty of Utrecht which in 1713 began to apportion areas of influence to the colonial powers.
Along with a plan of Charleston, the four inset maps include one of Florida with information from Captain Nairn's infamous Indian slave hunting expedition into the Everglades.
Greatly adding to the appeal of Moll's maps are the extensive passages of descriptive text with which he filled otherwise empty spaces. One describes the Iroquois Indians and their potential as allies against the French. Another gives the postal delivery times between American cities, for instance the Western Post sets out from Philadelphia on Friday and arrives in New York on Sunday night.
Exceptional original hand-colour. [Schwartz and Ehrenberg pl.78] [USA9084] |