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Charte über die XIII vereinigte Staaten von Nord-America Entworfen durch F. L. Güffefeld und herausgegeben von den Homænnischen Erben.
[Nuremberg]: Homann Heirs, 1784. Hand-colored engraving, 17.5” x 22.5” plus margins. CONDITION: Very good, left margin trimmed close, repair on verso to small hole in lower left quadrant, with no significant effect on printing. A fine German map depicting the newly-independent United States, including its western territories, produced by a renowned cartographer and leading map publisher, likely with the intention of promoting German immigration to America. This handsome map by the Homann Heirs is a prime example of German school cartography, capitalizing on a trend of European maps showing the newly-independent United States. Published in German with some English and French toponyms, the map depicts the eastern part of North America centered on the United States, with the thirteen original states appearing in color. It spans from the Atlantic coast westward to the Mississippi River, and stretches northward from Spanish Florida through the Great Lakes and into Canada. The map is substantially based on John Mitchell’s 1755 Map of the British and French Dominions of North America, a critical document in establishing the initial boundaries of the modern United States and later resolving disputes with Britain. The Homann Heirs map updates these territorial boundaries based on the 1783 Treaty of Paris with Britain, which saw the United States expand its territory (shown in light yellow, outlined in green) all the way to the Mississippi River. The borders of southern states, as in Mitchell’s map, extend westward to the Mississippi, but are here left uncolored west of the Appalachians. The map is richly detailed, and natural features—mountains, marshland, and wooded areas—are depicted pictorially. It reflects an impressive level of knowledge regarding the vast North American interior, including the locations of lakes and river systems, forts, and Native American tribes. On the political side, the map errs in several places in its depiction of state borders: Rhode Island is incorrectly shown to include Cape Cod, and Maryland’s border with Virginia extends too far south of the Potomac. Vermont, a de facto independent republic in 1784, is shown as part of New Hampshire, when in reality it was a territory contested by New York at the time. A table near the Mid-Atlantic region lists several cities home to large German populations at the time. The cartouche consists of a wreath topped with a hat, a caduceus, and a sword. It contains text translating to: “with all the freedoms granted by the Holy Roman Emperor.” Below is a list of abbreviations used to identify states on the map. The map is also titled in French just above the upper border. Scale is provided in geographic, nautical, and English miles. Longitude is given in degrees east of Ferro (Hierro) Island, the westernmost of the Canary Islands known as “Meridian Island,” a once-popular alternative to the Paris and Greenwich meridians. Franz Ludwig Güssefeld (1744–1807) was a notable cartographer of the German School. Born in Osterburg, Güssefeld became a forester after failing to secure a position in the Prussian Corps of Engineers. Later, he took up cartography and worked closely with the Homann Heirs publishing house, producing over 100 maps for publication and helping revive the business during the late eighteenth century. Later in life, some of his maps were published by the Geographical Institute of Weimar. Güssefeld’s maps were widely considered among the best and most detailed to come out of Germany at the time. Homann Heirs [Homännischen Erben] were among the foremost German map publishing firms of the eighteenth century. The company was founded around 1702 by Johann Baptist Homann (ca. 1663–1724) and continued by his son Johann Christoph Homann (ca. 1703–1730). Following Johann Chistoph’s death, the firm was bequeathed to family heirs under the stipulation that it operate under the name “Homann Heirs,” which it did until 1840. During its run, the firm produced a large number of atlases and separately published maps. REFERENCES: Collector’s Guide: Antique Maps (Oxford: Phaidon / Christie’s Limited, 1986), pp. 84, 86; “Charte über die XIII Vereinigte Staaten von Nord-America” at Leventhal Map & Education Center online; “Güssefeld, Franz Ludwig” at Deutsche Biographie online.
Item #9220
Price: $950.00
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