Depot de la Marine
1774

Large antique French sea chart of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico

Carte Reduite Du Golphe Du Mexique Et Des Isles De L'Amerique Pour servir au Vaisseaux du Roy . . . Seconde Edition Annee 17[74].

DESCRIPTION: Beautiful second edition (1774) of Bellin's important map of the Caribbean, Central America, and Gulf Coast, which is substantially revised and updated from the first edition issued by Bellin in 1749. Most notable feature on this stunning 18th century survivor is that south Florida is depicted as a mass of islands. The concept of the Florida archipelago derives from the work of Father Francois Le Maire, a missionary who arrived in Louisiana in June 1706.

In the title block the date has been partially erased from the original plate, causing some confusion that this chart might date to the 17th year of the French Revolution (1806). This is not the case. The attribution to the Duc du Paslin, the lack of R.F. in the circular Depot logo, and the depiction of Florida as an archipelago are all consistent with the Library of Congress' date for this map of 1774. (Library of Congress Map Diivision. "A List of Maps of America in the Library of Congress". 1901. p. 423. Retrieved online 3/2016)The Depot de la Marine was established in 1720 under the French Ministry of the Navy to collect, preserve, and publish nautical charts, sailing directions, and maritime intelligence for the French naval service. Its purpose was both archival and practical: to centralize geographic knowledge gathered from voyages, surveys, and colonial administration, and to convert that information into standardized charts for navigation. Over the eighteenth century the Depot became the principal hydrographic authority of France, issuing engraved sea charts that incorporated data from naval expeditions, colonial outposts, and scientific voyages.

Following the French Revolution, the institution was reorganized and its chart production expanded, particularly during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries as global maritime competition intensified. The Depot de la Marine supervised official surveys, revised earlier charts, and maintained copperplates for continued reissue as coastal knowledge improved. In 1886 it was formally reorganized as the Service hydrographique de la Marine, the predecessor of today’s French hydrographic office. Charts bearing the Depot imprint remain important records of French naval activity, colonial expansion, and the technical development of European hydrography.

CREATOR: Depot de la Marine

PUBLICATION DATE: 1774

GEOGRAPHIC AREA: United States

BODY OF WATER: Gulf of Mexico

CONDITION: Very Good. Wide margins. No noteable condition issues.

COLORING: Attractive modern outline handcoloring.

ENGRAVER:

SIZE: 32 " x 21 "

ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 61

PRICE: $1750

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