Delicate large World Map showing many explorers voyages c1786.

by C.F. Delamarche / Robert De Vaugondy

Mappe-monde dressee suivant les nouvelles relations et assujettie aux observations astronomiques Par le S. Robert de Vaugondy Geographer. Published in Paris by Delamarche, geographer, at Rue du Hay St Jacques, at the college of Maitre Gervais. (World map drawn following the new information and subject to astronomical observations By Gilles Robert de Vaugondy, Senior (1686-1766), Geographer. Published c1786 by "Citizen" Delamarche (1714-1817).

The third voyage of Captain Cook from 1776 until his demise in the Hawaiian Islands in 1779 is shown - as well as the voyages of several other important explorers. The pretty cartouches have later hand-colour and the delineation of the coastlines have been highlighted since publication, which adds to the map's appeal.

Geographer Didier Robert de Vaugondy (1723-1786) worked with and inherited the mapping plates of his father. The engraved plates and copyrights passed from Didier Robert de Vaugondy to Jean-Baptiste Fortin. In 1786 Fortin sold them to lawyer and publisher, Charles François Delamarche (1740-1817) who then concentrated on map-making. The Vaugondy family of mapmakers had used maps by the Sanson cartographic family before them. Robert de Vaugondy combined this information with Hubert Jaillot’s maps and plates that he acquired upon Jaillot’s death in 1752. The maps of Vaugondy’s large atlas Atlas Universel (Universal Atlas) first published circa 1757-1758, was outstanding for the quality of geographic information and the beauty of presentation. The plates were progressively updated by Delamarche. Such a lot of work over so many years by so many successive cartographers.

With this publication he used one of the names he went by.. Citizen Delamarche. He was probably wary of the imminent French Revolution of 1789. Delamarche was first lawyer of the Court of Paris. He had been corresponding with Jefferson even prior to the Jeffersonian Ordinance of 1784, and had significant interest in world exploration and geography. The 1783 Treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolutionary War.
Subsequent dealings of Delamarche with the widow of Didier Robert de Vaugondy appear to indicate that, despite being a lawyer previous to becoming a map-maker, Delamarche was of dubious moral character, as he did not follow Court directive to pay compensation to the widow, and as he published the notice of her death, it was assumed that her heirs would not have benefitted from any generosity on his part..

This map is not in good condition. It has considerable foxing and there are a few short tears at the edge of the paper which has minimal margin beyond the border. The edge of the map has been built out to facilitate framing. Hence the low price. If map is collected (or delivered to Brisbane), a conservation mount is available with the map, for this price.

To the border of this map measures 46.3 x 74 cm. (approximately 18 x 29 inches)