La Perouse, Jean François Galaup
1797

Antique French Chart of San Francisco Bay, California

SOLD

Plan du Port De St. François Situé sur la côte de la California Septentrionale …

DESCRIPTION: SOLD

This antique French chart is the earliest available chart (1797) for collectors of the San Francisco Bay area, in California. The map was produced by Jean François Galaup la Perouse after a 10 day exploration of the San Francisco area in 1786 and published posthumously in 1797. Earlier manuscript charts do exist, by Cañizares in 1776 and 1781, but these are extremely rare and generally not available to collectors.

A legend with 20 items is keyed to locations on the map including "Presidio de San Francisco", Mission de San Francisco", "Ile de Alcatraces" ( Alcatraz Island ), and "Pte. de Reyes". Depth soundings and anchorages are marked generally in the lower bay only.

As a French explorer and naval officer la Perouse (1741-1788?) was tasked by King Louis XVI of France with completing the Pacific exploration begun by British Captain James Cook. Aboard the ships Astrolabe and Boussole, la Perouse and his crew mapped the west coast of North America and Alaska in 1786 and visited Easter Island and the Sandwich Islands ( Hawaii ). After reaching Australia's Botany Bay in 1788 his ships were lost at sea while searching for the Solomon Islands.

This map is from the French edition of the "Atlas du voyage de La Perouse". L. Aubert scripsit. Plate 33.

Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse (1741-1788?)

La Pérouse.was a renowned French explorer and naval officer. He was commissioned by King Louis XVI of France to complete the Pacific exploration initiated by British Captain James Cook. La Pérouse embarked on his expedition in 1785 with the ships Astrolabe and Boussole, along with a skilled crew.

During their journey, La Pérouse and his team charted the west coast of North America and Alaska in 1786, exploring the coasts of present-day Oregon and California. They also visited Easter Island and the Sandwich Islands (now known as Hawaii), further expanding their knowledge of the Pacific. The expedition reached Australia's Botany Bay in 1788, marking another significant milestone in their journey.

Unfortunately, while searching for the Solomon Islands, La Pérouse and his ships disappeared at sea, never to be found again. His disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of naval history. Despite the tragic end to his journey, La Pérouse's exploration of the Pacific contributed valuable knowledge to the world of cartography and helped pave the way for future explorers.

CREATOR: La Perouse, Jean François Galaup

PUBLICATION DATE: 1797

GEOGRAPHIC AREA: United States

BODY OF WATER: Pacific Ocean

CONDITION: Very Good. Bright with wide margins. A fine impression on strong chain-laid paper with traces of a binder's stub to verso. One small wormhole at the centerfold has been professionally repaired and is not noticeable.

COLORING: None

ENGRAVER: Triere

SIZE: 13 " x 20 "

ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 0

PRICE: $

ADD TO CART

This web site provides security by Rapid SSL

Similar items:

339	Entrance to San Francisco Bay Small antique lithographed chart of the Entrance to San Francisco Bay. The chart, from the U.S. Geological Survey, is derived from a U.S. Coast Survey chart and overlaid with hach . . .	Details	1892	U-S--Geological-Survey	Entrance-to-San-Francisco-Bay	Small antique lithographed chart of the Entrance to San Francisco Bay. The chart, from the U.S. Geological Survey, is derived from a U.S. Coast Survey chart and overlaid with hachured topographic details. Lighthouses, soundings, life saving stations and navigational aids are shown. Water shown in blue. Some of the features include the Golden Gate (entrance to the bay), Ballenas Bay, Alcatraz Island, San Bruno, Point Lobos, and Pt. San Pedro. <BR> </BR> Produced for the U.S. Geological Survey Thirteenth Annual Report. Produced by George S. Harris Lithographers, Philadelphia. Plate 45.
664	City of San Francisco, California Antique electrotype engraved plan of the booming town of San Francisco, California made in 1853 during the California gold rush. On a 25" x 33" sheet of heavy paper, never folded. . . .	Details	1853	U-S--Coast-and-Geodetic-Survey	City-of-San-Francisco--California	Antique electrotype engraved plan of the booming town of San Francisco, California made in 1853 during the California gold rush. On a 25" x 33" sheet of heavy paper, never folded. Key named features include: Tonquin Shoal, Wreck of the Tonquin, Blossom Rock, Mission Rock, Point San Quentin, Mission de Dolores, Rincon Point, Mission Bay, Steamboat Point, Cunningham's Wharf, Law's Wharf, Broadway Wharf, Pacific Wharf, and Portsmouth Square. <br></br> The town is shown laid out into blocks with individual buildings. Numerous steets are identified including Market Street, Pine Street, Lombard Street and Broad Way. Includes numerous soundings and countour lines. <br><br/> This antique chart should not be confused with those similar copies that were issued with dozens of others as part of a Report to Congress, most on thin paper with folds that often show condition issues. This original mid 19th century survivor is a large, separately issued example on thick wove paper that has been stored either rolled of flat with no folds. Price 50 Cents. Verified I.I. Stevens . Outlines and Topography engraved by Max. F.O. Strobel; Lettering by E.F. Woodward. With the circular logo of the Coast Survey Depot. Number 627.
1097	Antique U.S. Navy Chart of the Entrance to San Francisco Bay Cadwalader Ringgold's detailed, hand-colored chart of San Francisco Bay from 1851, extending up the Sacramento river at top right to Sacramento, Suttersville, and Boston, CA and to . . .	Details	1851	Ringgold--Cadwalader	Antique-U-S--Navy-Chart-of-the-Entrance-to-San-Francisco-Bay	Cadwalader Ringgold's detailed, hand-colored chart of San Francisco Bay from 1851, extending up the Sacramento river at top right to Sacramento, Suttersville, and Boston, CA and to Stockton, Stanislaus City and San Joaquin at bottom right. Along Napa Creek Ringgold drew the plan of the small town of Vallejo which he refers to as "Capitol of the State". Other town plans include Suisun City, Martinez, New York, and Benicia. The map carries a dedication to William H. Aspinwall, Esq. of New York City, a merchant and ship owner. <br ></br> Published two years after the beginning of the 49'er gold rush, this most interesting lithographed chart is notable for the fine detail shown along California's rivers, which include names for a number of islands and regions which had never before appeared on commercial maps. The Webster or Russian Embarcadero is shown, as is Presidio, Washington, Indian Villages, Doaks Ferry, Martins, Table Hill, Petaluma Creek, Mount Diablo and many smaller islands, creeks, points and other features. Alcatraz island is labeled simply "Alcatraces". <br ></br> Ringgold (1802-1867) was a officer in the U.S. Navy who had served aboard the brig Porpoise with the U.S. Exploring Expedition during Wilkes' surveys of the area in 1841 . Ringgold was promoted to Commander in July, 1849 and began his groundbreaking survey of the San Francisco Bay region, suddenly important because of the discovery of gold in the area. The survey began in August 1849, with Ringgold commanding the chartered brig Col. Fremont. Of the sources used to compile the map Guthorn notes: <div class="indenttextblock">"Ringgold's charts and sailing directions employed material extracted from the account by Fredrick William Beechy, the British explorer and naval officer whose narrative of the voyage to the Pacific and Behring Sea was published in 1831." (Guthorn, Peter. "U.S. Coastal Charts 1783-1861." Schiffer Publishing. 1984. p. 195)</div>
1098	Scarce early French sea chart of San Francisco Bay Scarce French sea chart of San Francisco Bay made during a voyage to the Pacific from 1836-39 by Captain Abel Aubert Du Petit-Thouars in command of the French Frigate Ven . . .	Details	1843	Depot-de-la-Marine	Scarce-early-French-sea-chart-of-San-Francisco-Bay	Scarce French sea chart of <b>San Francisco Bay</b> made during a voyage to the Pacific from 1836-39 by Captain Abel Aubert Du Petit-Thouars in command of the French Frigate <b>Venus</b>. The bay is well delineated with soundings and profile views. Shows the route taken in October 1837 by the Hawaiian ship "Kamamalou" (Captain William Sturgis Hinckley) as it ferried a crew from Petit-Thoaurs' Venus, who remained aboard the Venus in Monterrey Bay, to gather water and vegetables. The crew used that trip to reconnoiter the port of San Francisco. <br ></br> With several small and one large elevation profile view of the entrance to San Francisco Bay as seen from sea. The largest elevation view, at bottom, shows the coastline as seen from 25 miles offshore. That beautifully engraved profile extends from the <b>Farralon Islands</b> to well past "Cap Blanc" (Point San Pedro). The key feature of Alcatraz Island is labeled "I. aux Oiseaux" (Bird Island). <br ></br> A circled "+" between Alcatraz Island and Yerba Buena Island labeled "Basse du Seringapatnam" suggests that this is the site of a wreck of a vessel by that name. Going through the records we find a 398 ton whaling ship "Seragapatam" that sailed from Sydney and arrived in San Francisco on March 18, 1850. <br ></br> The motivation behind Petit-Thouars' exploration was France's interest in obtaining territory from the Mexican government in exchange for the millions of dollars worth of loans that the French government had given to Mexico, and which the Mexican government had defaulted on. France sent Captain Du Petit-Thouars to survey the region and see what it offered, as well as to project a French presence to bolster any claims they had in the Pacific. <br></br> Circular logo with an anchor from the Depot de la Marine. Plate 6. Number. 1002.
1099	Entrance to San Francisco Bay California 1859 Superb, large, antique U.S. Coast Survey chart of San Francisco Bay, the city of San Francisco, California, and lower Marin County, California on heavy paper with no folds. . . .	Details	1859	U-S--Coast-and-Geodetic-Survey	Entrance-to-San-Francisco-Bay-California-1859	Superb, large, antique U.S. Coast Survey chart of <b>San Francisco Bay</b>, the city of San Francisco, California, and lower Marin County, California on heavy paper with no folds. Laid down nicely to board. Produced just 10 years after the beginning of the California Gold Rush it shows numerous soundings and aids to navigation including Fort Point Light, Point Bonita Light, Yerba Buena Light, and Alcatraz Light. <BR> </BR> Coverage includes San Francisco and Sausalito and the surrounding areas and is the original 1859 electrotype edition not a later corrected version. Like later editions, the bottom of the chart contains two views of the bay- both inbound and outbound the port showing both steam and sail-powered vessels underway and at anchor. This 1859 edition contains a third engraved view not found in later editions- <b>"View of the Entrance to San Pablo Bay from near Angel Island"</b>. In later editions that view was removed to make room for notes and tables. <BR> </BR> Named points of interest include the Presidio, Oakland, Cliff House, Ocean House, Sausalito, Alcatraz Island, Mission Bay, San Leandro, Yerba Buena Island, Mission de Delores, Table Mountain, Brooklyn, Alameda, and of course the Golden Gate (with no bridge). <BR> </BR> This chart was printed in 1859 from an electrotype copy of the original hand-engraved copper plate, a process the U.S. Coast Survey adopted around 1850. As a soft medium, copper plates could only withstand print runs of perhaps 200 copies before the plates wore down. To enable larger print runs, a mold of the original plate was created in wax or another soft medium. Then, using an electro-chemical processs ( electrotyping ), the mold was coated with a metal layer, typically copper. Printers were then able to produce output from the new electrotype copper copy, while preserving the original. Electrotype copy no. 2. With the circular stamp of the U.S. Coast Survey.