| Guilaume Delisle | |
| Paris,
1700
The landmark map of Africa: L’AFRIQUE | Dresseé sur les Observations... Ans 1700. Original copperplate engraved map |
 |
This is a landmark map of Africa. This is the first map of Africa to show Africa without the two Nile River Ptolemaic-based source lakes. Delisle’s last remaining major concession to Ptolemy is with the map’s east to west flow of the Niger River into the Atlantic, though the Niger source lake, Lacus Niger in west central Africa, is not presented as on previous maps of Africa. The west to east Nubia River, also shown in previous maps flowing eastward into the Nile, ceases to exist on this map. This map of Africa served as the model for
European map makers and was much copied throughout the 18th
century. The map is noteworthy for its attention to a scientific
approach in the preparation of the map. Delisle exercised care,
wherever possible, in the inclusion only of verifiable
information. The map was constantly being updated thus there
were a number of later states of this map quickly following on
his original 1700 publication of this map. We are aware of five states of this map.
This map is the fourth state. In this state immediately
below the same title cartouche as the third state, the following
is added: “se Trouve a Amsterdam chez L Renard Libraire Pres de
la Bourse”. Sometime after 1708 and before 1718+,
the copperplate was evidently used by Louis Renard. In this
state, the following imprint is lightly etched below the title
cartouche: “se Trouve a Amsterdam chez L Renard Libraire Pres de
la Bourse”. This evidently refers to an agreement to allow
Renard the right to sell the map on the Amsterdam market. A particularly very fine
example of this important map. This map should be in any collection
of maps that even have a remote interest in the mapping of
Africa. |
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