Detail View: Touchton Map Library: Athlas Royale

L2016.041.001

M36

Athlas Royale

c. 1740

Herman Moll

John Bowles

This remarkable and important atlas includes a number of justly famous maps, including Moll's so-called Beaver Map, the first large-scale map to show English developments in North America and the first to show the American postal routes. This map derived its moniker due to its detailed engraved vignette illustrating a beaver colony at work near Niagara Falls. The Beaver map is present here in its 4th state, c. 1731. Moll's map was one of the most important illustrations of the ongoing dispute between France and Great Britain over boundaries separating their respective American colonies. Pritchard and Taliaferro note that "The map was the primary exponent of the British position during the period immediately following the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713." All territory south of the St. Lawrence River and eastern Great Lakes is shown as British. Numerous notations relating to territorial claims, Indian tribes, the fur trade, and the condition of the land cover the face of the map. This map shows the early eighteenth-century postal routes in the British colonies and is frequently called the first American postal map. Susan Schulten elaborates on Moll's other North American map, also present in this atlas, and its role in the continuing cartographic playing out of French and British boundary disputes: [De L'Isle's] map raised the stakes of the geopolitical struggle between Britain and France over control of an American interior... Herman Moll responded with a map of his own.... [He had] published a map that depicted the British dominions along the eastern seaboard as strategically positioned relative to the rest of the continent. Moll was thus particularly troubled by de L'Isle's 1718 map, which attempted to limit Britain's territorial sphere. He responded with the pointedly titled "New Map of the North Parts of America Claimed by France." The very title of the map hints at Moll's sense of disbelief...His map dripped with sarcasm...In characterizing de L'Isle's map as propaganda, Moll aimed both to challenge French claims and to fortify British settlements beyond the seaboard - Susan Shulten, A History of America in 100 Maps, page 68. In addition to the maps mentioned above, this atlas includes a number of other highly desirable maps, several with remarkably detailed and beautiful inset illustrations. A complete list follows, with additional notes on particular maps.

Maps: -1. A New And Correct Map of the World, Laid Down According to the Newest Discoveries, and From the Most Exact Observations, By Herman Moll. Wagner, Northwest Coast, 513. -2. To Her most Sacred Majesty Carolina, Queen of Great Britain, France & Ireland. This Map of Europe. -3. To the Right Honourable William Lord Cowper, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. This Map of Asia. -4. A Map of the East-Indies and the adjacent Countries... To ye Directors of ye Honble. United East-India Company. -5. -6. To the Right Honourable Charles Earl of Peterborow and Monmouth, &c. This Map of Africa. -7. To the Right Honourable John Lord Sommers Baron of Evesham in ye County of Worcester President of Her Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council &c. This Map of North America. -With a large engraved inset illustration: A view of a Stage & also of ye manner of Fishing for, Curing & Drying Cod at Newfoundland. Wagner, Northwest Coast, 514. -8. A New and Exact Map of the Dominions of the King of Great Britain on ye Continent of North America. Containing Newfoundland, New Scotland, New England, New York, New Jersey, Pensilvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Carolina. -The Beaver Map. The present example conforms to Pritchard and Taliaferro's 4th state, with the Carolina map inset divided into counties and with the imprint reading: Printed and Sold by Tho: Bowles next ye Chapter House in St. Paul's Church-yard, John Bowles at the Black Horse in Cornhill, and by I. King at ye Globe in ye Poultrey near Stocks Market. In addition to the famous Beaver inset, this map also includes four inset maps. -Inset 1. [Map of the southeastern North America, including New France, Louisiana, Florida, and Carolina]. -With caption: The Design of this Map is to shew the South Part of Carolina, and the East Part of Florida, possess'd since September 1712 by the French and called Louisiana; together with some of the principal Indian Settlement and the Number of the Fighting Men According to the account of Capt. T. Nearn and others. -Inset 2. A Map of the Improved Part of Carolina with the Settlements &c. -Inset 3: A Map of the PRINCIPAL PART OF NORTH AMERICA. -Inset 4: A Draught of ye Town and Harbour of CHARLES-TOWN. -9. A New Map of the North Parts of America claimed by France under ye Names of Louisiana, Mississipi, Canada and New France with ye Adjoyning Territories of England and Spain. -11. To the Right Honourable, Charles Earl of Sunderland, and Baron Spencer of Wormleighton; One of Her Majesty's Principal Secretaries of States; &c. This Map of South America. ****-10. A New Mapp of the West-Indies or the Islands of America in the North Sea. -12. A New & Exact Map of the Coast, Countries and Islands within ye Limits of ye South Sea Company. With three separate maps printed at the top of the sheet: -1. A Map of the Isle Chiloe, the Lake of Ancuna, with the Islands, &c. Done after the newest Spanish Draughts. -2. Part of Peru -3. A Map of ye Port of Baldivia with the Fortifications and Islands &c. Done after a New Spanish Draught. -And nine insets within the main map: A Chart from England to the River Aranoca &c.; The Port of Acapulco; The Gulf of Amapalla or Fonesca; The Gulf of Nicoya or Gulf of Salinas; the Gallapagos Islands; The Island of Juan Ferdinando; A Map of the Isthmus of Darien The Bay of Panama &c.; Peypses or Pepys I.; A map of ye Straights of Magellan &c. An earlier version of this map was issued in a promotional publication for the South Sea Company: A View of the Coasts, Countries and Islands within the Limites of the South-Sea Company... (London, 1711). The South Sea Company attempted to establish a British-controlled monopoly on trade with South America. It ultimately led to the South Sea Bubble financial crisis of 1720, when a trading frenzy and inevitable fall in share prices triggered a major economic melt down. I cannot find just when this map was first issued, but it probably first appeared in Moll's The World Described... - Wagner, Northwest Coast, 498. -17. The South Part of Great Britain, called, England and Wales. -18. The North Part of Great Britain Called Scotland. -16. A New Map of Great Britain. -19. A New Map of Ireland Divided into its Provinces, Counties and Baronies, wherein are distinguished the Bishopricks, Borroughs, Barracks, Bogs, Passes, Bridges, &c. with the Principal Roads, and the common Reputed Miles. -26. A New and Exact Map of Spain & Portugal Divided into Kingdoms and Principalities &c. -25. A New and Exact Map of France. -23. A New and Exact Map of the United Provinces, or Netherlands &c. -24. Les Provinces Des Pay-Bas Catholiques ou A Most Exact Map of Flanders or ye Austrian Netherlands &c. -20. To His Grace John Duke of Marleborough, Prince of Mindelheim &c. This Map of Germany &c. is most Humbly Dedicated by H. Moll Geographer. A New Map of Germany, Hungary, Transilvania & the Suisse Cantons. 1712. -21. A New & Exact Map of the Electorate of Brunswick-Lunenburg and ye rest of ye Kings Dominions in Germany. -14. A New Map of Denmark and Sweden. -13. To His Most Serene and August Majesty Peter Alexovitz Absolute Lord of Russia &c. This Map of Moscovy, Poland, Little Tartary, And ye Black Sea &c. -27. A New Map of Italy Distinguishing All the Sovereignties in it... 1714. -30. An Historical Map of the Roman Empire and the neighbouring Barbarous Nations.