This large,
beautifully engraved, hand coloured uncommon, original
antique map of NW America from California to Alaska &
Eastern Russia - after Gerhard Muller's map of 1754 -was published by P Santini (fl. 1776-84) in his 2 volume edition of Atlas Universal in 1776.
This Santini/Remondini edition is state 3 of Muller's
map. It is an uncommon edition and is a fascinating
addition to any collection of the Pacific Northwest.
This map is an
updated version of Gerhard Muller's landmark map of 1754
showing the discoveries of Captains who
landed on the west coast of Canada. Muller was a German
scholar who worked for the Russian Imperial Academy of
Sciences. He originally published his map in response to
Joseph Delisle and Philippe Buache's map that showed
previously unknown Russian discoveries and an elaborate
(and entirely speculative) depiction of the imaginary
voyage of Admiral De Fonte through a Northwest Passage.
Muller's original version showed an elongated landmass
roughly in the shape of the Alaskan Peninsula and the
Aleutian Islands. The map was updated several times,
most significantly in 1773 after the expedition of Lt.
Ivan Synd in which the elongated peninsula was shortened
in favor of a large group of islands. Interestingly the
speculative Northwest Passage is still shown
nearly connecting to Hudson Bay via a mythical River of
the West . Muller's map was copied numerous times
by different publishers due to increased interest in the
region and the De Fonte controversy. (Ref: Portinaro &
Knirsch; Tooley; M&B)
General Description:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color: - off white
Age of map color: - Original & later
Colors used: - Pink, yellow, green
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper size: - 26 1/2in x 20 1/2in (675mm x 520mm)
Plate size: - 26in x 20in (660mm x 510mm)
Margins: - Min 1/2in (12mm)
Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - Light creasing along centerfold
Verso: - None
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