Amsterdam c1696

NOVISSIMA | et | PERFECTISSIMA | AFRICÆ | DESCRIPTIO | EX FORMIS | CAROLI ALLARD. |  AMSTELO - BATAVI: | Cum Privilegio Potentissimerum D.D. | Ordinum Hollandiæ et Westfrisiæ.
[at the bottom of the vignette, to the left]:  Ph. Tideman del.
[at the bottom of the vignette, to the right]:  G. v. Gouwen sculp.

Original copperplate printed map: 
50 x 58.5 cm.
Map #AFS-002             
$2,000
 

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Carel Allard (1648-1706), the son of the map publisher Hugo, was an engraver and publisher working from 'op den Dam in de Kaertwinkel' in Amsterdam. Upon his father's death in 1691, Carel assumed control of the business.  Though the Carel Allard maps are not dated, he probably prepared this map of Africa in c.1696.  On first appearance, this map appears to be a copy of the c.1670 De Wit map of Africa in its later states, except for the lack of decorative animals and ships, and a new decorative vignette surrounding the title cartouche. However, Allard's map considerably updates the geography of the interior of Africa. The Allard map shows each of the two Ptolemaic lakes in Central Africa with a river flowing to the north. However, Allard abruptly ends the flow of this river just north of the Equator, suggesting that the lakes were no longer considered to be the source for the White Nile River. Further, the source for the Blue Nile at Lake Tana in Abyssinia is well developed. All of this suggests French influences (Duval, De Fer and others) in the development of this map.  At the bottom of the vignette is the name of the person who drew the map, Philip Tideman, as: 'Ph. Tideman del.'. To the right, is the name of the map engraver, Gilliam van Gouwen, as: 'G. v. Gouwen sculp.'

Besides likely appearing as a separately issued map, this map appears in the Atlas Minor sive tabulæ... of Carel Allard in 1697 with later issues.   We initially believed that this map was only known in one state.  Subsequent to the publication of our book, we have since learned that there are three states of this map.  This particular map is the first state without the text describing the climatic zones within the latitude gridlines along left and right borders.   There is also a third state with text added at the end of the title cartouche:  ex Officina l I. COVENS et C. MORTIER. l Cum Privilegio.

Betz, Map #162.  Norwich, Map #54.

Very Good.