DESCRIPTION: Beautiful original antique engraved map of the Caribbean island of Martinique ca. 1730. This is a map that has much to offer when viewed up close: wonderful topography with trees, mountains, roads, and rivers. Many important locations and structures are identified directly on the map, for example in the area around Fort de France Bay (Baye et Cul de Sac Royal): l'Hopital le Capucins, Morne Rouge, le Fort Royal St. Louis, le Cul de Sac a Vache, Notre Dame de Grace, and Café des Navires.
Discovered by Columbus in 1493, he landed there in 1502 and named the island Martinica. Martinique was a French colony from 1635-1946 when it became the French Overseas Department of Martinique.
Fine decorative cartouche with Mercury, god of Commerce, hovering above and Poseidon below while half-clothed Native Americans are shown trading with Europeans. Title reads: "Representation la plus nouvelle et exacte de l'Ile Martinique, la premiere des Iles del' Amerique Antilles nommees Barlovento, aux depens de Matthieu Seutter , graveur de cartes geograph de S.M.I. a Augsbourg."
Top of the map with an interesting Avertissement in French and German "Pour rendre cette Carte a l'usage des Navigateurs…des Marques" or an explantion of symbols used on the map that would be useful to navigators including water mills ("moulins a eau"), anchorages for small boats ("mouillage pour les petits batimens"), and sugar mills ("sucrerie"). Some of the more heavily traveled bays show depth soundings and below-water navigational hazards.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1730
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: Martinique
BODY OF WATER: Caribbean Sea
CONDITION: Very good.
Strong paper. Somewhat stained in margin at bottom left, not impacting image.
COLORING: Hand color.
ENGRAVER: Albrecht Carl Seutter
SIZE: 19
" x
22 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 51
PRICE: $1050
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