Bellin, Jacques Nicolas
1753

Antique Colonial-era Plan of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana

Plan de la Nouvelle Orleans sur les manuscrits du Depot des Cartes de la Marine

DESCRIPTION: Antique French plan of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana ("la Nouvelle Orleans") from the period of French colonization ca. 1753. This antique city plan of New Orleans by Nicolas Bellin was based on a manuscript map created by Pauger approximately 15 years after the city was founded on the east bank of the Mississippi river.

Bellin's plan shows the city laid out with French Quarter streets most residents would recognize today including Bienville, Bourbon, Chartres, Royale and at the center of the plan- Jackson Square. Note the spelling of the Mississippi River below the town with one "P" as "Fleuve Mississipi".

On this old uncolored, copper-plate engraved map nineteen key points within the city are keyed to a legend on the map just below the title. These important locations within early New Orleans include:

Prisons
Place d'Armes (today's Jackson Square)
l'Eglise Paroissiale (parish church)
Poudriere (powder magazine)
Magasins du Roi (Royal stores)
Nouvelle Maison du Urselines (or new home for the Ursuline nuns, an important force in early New Orleans)
Forges du Roi (the King's forge or metalworking shop)
Moulin a vent et a Cheval (a mill operated by the wind and horse )

The plan is based on a design initially created by military engineers Adrien de Pauger and Le Blond de la Tour in 1722. That plan envisoned a street grid extending six blocks northward from the Mississippi River, a plan that was likely scaled back in 1729 as a result of the Natchez Indian massacre of settlers at Fort Rosalie near Natchez Mississippi. At that point security became paramount, reflected in some of the other features found in Bellin's plan: guardhouses, a powder magazine, and a single bridge controlling access across the moat to the city. Plate number 19.

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772)

Jacques-Nicolas Bellin was a prominent French hydrographer and geographer, recognized for his significant contributions to the development of cartography. For over half a century, Bellin served as the first Ingénieur de la Marine of the Depot des cartes et plans de la Marine (the French Hydrographic Office) and was appointed Official Hydrographer to the French King. His expertise and precision led to the production of thousands of significant nautical charts and maps, enhancing maritime navigation.

Petit Atlas Maritime Title Page, Jacques Bellin, cartograpger. 1764.

Petit Atlas Maritime Title Page, 1764

One of Bellin's most notable works, "Le Petit Atlas Maritime," was published in 1764, encompassing five volumes of detailed charts and maps covering every part of the world. Bellin's cartographic legacy extends beyond France; his comprehensive maps and atlases were highly influential in shaping European understanding of global geography during the 18th century. His passion for accuracy and vast output have ensured his place in the annals of cartographic history.

CREATOR: Bellin, Jacques Nicolas

PUBLICATION DATE: 1753

GEOGRAPHIC AREA: United States

BODY OF WATER: Mississippi River

CONDITION: Very Good. Strong impression. On strong, chain-laid paper. A few light spots, most outside the neatline. Ample margins. Two vertical folds, flattened. Washed.

COLORING: Uncolored

ENGRAVER:

SIZE: 10 " x 7 "

ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 3

PRICE: $600

ADD TO CART

This web site provides security by Rapid SSL

Similar items:

382	Lake Pontchartrain Harbour and Breakwater Fascinating plan of the southern shore of Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1853. During that era both Bayou St. John and the New Canal (the present Details	1853	Anonymous	Lake-Pontchartrain-Harbour-and-Breakwater	Fascinating plan of the southern shore of Lake Ponchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1853. During that era both Bayou St. John and the New Canal (the present <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_Street_Canal">17th Street Canal</a>) were navigable to small vessels; a lighthouse is shown at the mouth of each canal. The plan shows projected construction of wooden breakwaters in the lake that were designed "to furnish safe anchorage in front of the termini of the Pontchartrain Railroad, Bayou St John, and New Canal…".<BR> </BR> Other depicted features include Milneburg, then a suburb of New Orleans connected to it by the Pontchartrain Railroad, two lighthouses, and the Jefferson and Lake Pontchartrain Railroad in what is now Jefferson Parish. Construction details of the wooden breakwater are shown in profile and elevation. <BR> </BR> Today neither of the two railroad lines linking New Orleans to the Lakefront exist. Neither Bayou St. John nor the 17th Street Canal (a large drainage ditch) are navigable. In fact a section of the 17th Street Canal failed after Hurricane Katrina and was responsible for flooding a large part of New Orleans and at least 31 deaths. The deadly breach in the canal can be located on the plan near the bottom of the shaded high land directly adjacent to the New Canal. <BR> </BR> Dated October 30th, 1853. Printed by Wagner and Mc Guigan Lithographers, Philadelphia. For reference see:
557	1914 Inside Route Pilot Key West to New Orleans Very scarce, intact 1914 Coast Pilot with six strip charts and sailing directions for what is now the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, from Key West, Florida heading north and then west . . .	Details	1914	U-S--Coast-and-Geodetic-Survey	1914-Inside-Route-Pilot-Key-West-to-New-Orleans	Very scarce, intact 1914 Coast Pilot with six strip charts and sailing directions for what is now the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, from Key West, Florida heading north and then west to New Orleans, Louisiana. Published by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Contains 93 pages of text plus an index. <br><br/> In its early history some portions of the 'inside route' were owned and dredged by private entities who charged a toll to vessels for passage, sometimes by stringing a chain across narrow passages to restrict traffic flow. After 1919 Congress mandated that the entire passage should be turned over to the Federal government and the tolls were eliminated. <br><br/> The sailing directions for Bayou St. John describe a moment in time that New Orleans residents can only imagine today: <dir class="indenttextblock">The channel at the entrance is protected by training walls on each side. Spanish Fort is a pleasure resort at the mouth of Bayou St. John and is connected with New Orleans by an electric car line... Small craft of all kinds use the bayou as far as Esplanade Street, about 2 3/4 miles above the entrance, but pleasure boats rarely go above that point." </dir> Size of each chart when folded is approximately 8" x 5". The pilot's lithographed working navigational charts capture the full extent of the southern U.S. Inside Route in detail. Chart sections include roughly these areas and chart sizes: (fully opened, height is 10" and width is listed below). <br> 1. Key West to Matanzas Pass - 24"<br> 2. Matanzas Pass to Clearwater - 23"<br> 3. Clearwater to Tampa - 27"<br> 4. Tampa to St. Andrews Sound - 24"<br> 5. St. Andrews Sound to Bay St. Louis - 36"<br> 6. Bay St. Louis to New Orleans. - 23"<br> <br><br/> If they were placed end to end, the charts would extend over 13 feet long. Original price 20 cents. Published by the Government Printing Office in Washington DC in 1915.
931	Gulf of Mexico New Orleans to Tampico Mexico A spectacular, huge (6' foot) antique British privately-published blueback nautical chart of the western Gulf of Mexico in very fine condition. Scarce to find this chart, especial . . .	Details	1876	James-Imray-and-Son	Gulf-of-Mexico-New-Orleans-to-Tampico-Mexico	A spectacular, huge (6' foot) antique British privately-published blueback nautical chart of the western Gulf of Mexico in very fine condition. Scarce to find this chart, especially an example kept in such great shape as this one. Chart coverage includes United States coastal areas from New Orleans, Louisiana trending west and then south to Tampico, Mexico. Contains the oval blue inked over-stamp that reads "James Imray and Son, 1876, London." <br></br> <b>Note:</b> Because of its large size the photo is stitched together from 2 halves. Some abberations in the image may appear. <br></br> This old chart is dotted with numeous inset large-scale charts of key ports and important bays, rivers and harbors including: Galveston, Texas; Atchafalya Bay, Louisiaana, Sabine Pass, Matagorga Bay, Rio Grande, and Tampico, Mexico. <br></br> During the 1800's there was a trend toward publication of very large small-scale charts with large-scale insets of key passages and harbors. The practice was adopted as much for economics as any other reason. James Imray and Son was one of a handful of British publishers who specialized in these charts which were often backed with canvas or linen cloth or heavy blue paper in order to help them withstand the frequent use and abuse aboard ship, hence the term "blueback chart". <br></br> Outer blue paper contains yellow a large seller's label with the logo of James Imray amd Son. Price when sold 10 s.
1069	Maps of French Colonial New Orleans and the Mississippi River Scarce early plan of New Orleans, Louisiana with insets of the mouth of the Mississippi River and also a long stretch of the Mississippi river from south of Donaldsonville to the p . . .	Details	1769	Tirion--Isaac	Maps-of-French-Colonial-New-Orleans-and-the-Mississippi-River	Scarce early plan of New Orleans, Louisiana with insets of the mouth of the Mississippi River and also a long stretch of the Mississippi river from south of Donaldsonville to the passes. Published less than 50 years after the founding of New Orleans, Tirion's map of New Orlean's French Quarter is derived from an earlier map by Jacques Bellin / Brion de la Tour but contains additional details outside the French Quarter, which was largely marsh land at that time, including a road to Bayou St. John, a key trade route to the city from the east. <br></br> The sheet with three views is based on the layout of Thomas Jefferys earlier work (1759), who borrowed the earlier works of Jacques Bellin, of France's Depot de la Marine. Text is in German. <br></br> Isaak Tirion, (1705 - 1765) was a Dutch publisher who produced serveral atlases and Dutch town plans from the Kalverstraat, in Amsterdam. Tirion produced eight atlases in multiple editions
1178	1822 Antique map of the New Orleans, Louisiana vicinity Scarce (1822) copperplate engraved map of New Orleans by John Melish. Map is uncommon. Coverage includes Bayou St. John, the lower shore of Lake Ponchartrain and a stretch of the M . . .	Details	1822	Melish--John	1822-Antique-map-of-the-New-Orleans--Louisiana-vicinity	Scarce (1822) copperplate engraved map of New Orleans by John Melish. Map is uncommon. Coverage includes Bayou St. John, the lower shore of Lake Ponchartrain and a stretch of the Mississippi river below New Orleans. Legend at bottom graphically identifies two types of swamp surrounding New Orleans: "Cypress Swamp" and "Prairie Swamp". <br></br> Melish's named features include: <div class="indenttextblock"> <ul style="list-style-type: circle;"> <li>Fort St. John</li> <li>Borough of St. John</li> <li>Suburb of Marigny</li> <li>Bayou Sauvage and the Road to Chef Menteur</li> <li>English Turn</li> <li>Woodsville</li> <li>Lake Lery</li> <li>The Ouatchas River</li> </ul> </div> Contains several notes related to the Battle of 1812 with the landing site and route of British forces identified. <br></br> From Melish's "A Geographical Description of the United States, with the Contiguous British and Spanish Possessions." Philadelphia, 1822.