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Description

Striking example of the general map illustrating the regions covered by George Vancouver in his seminal voyage of exploration along the NW Coast of America.

This general map, stretching from San Francisco to Kodiak Island in Alaska, illustrates the vast majority of the coastline covered by Vancouver, including some of the earliest appearances of many of the coastal features. Vancouver's voyage to the Northwest Coast of America is best described as the last major explorations of the North Pacific. Thereafter, subsequent discoveries were primarily incidental to voyages in pursuit of commerce and fur trade. Vancouver began his career as a midshipman on James Cook's second expedition. As commander of his own fleet in three seasons, he demonstrated that there was no link between Hudson's Bay and the Pacific, and his charts of the lower Columbia River aided Lewis and Clark in the final stages of their overland expedition.

This example was issued by Tardieu in the early 19th Century, based upon Vancouver's original map.

Condition Description
Moderate toning
Pierre Antoine Tardieu Biography

Pierre Antoine Tardieu (1784-1869), also known to sign his works as PF Tardieu, was a prolific French map engraver and geographer. The Tardieu family, based in Paris, was well known for their talent in engraving, cartography, and illustration. Pierre Antoine’s father, Antoine Francois Tardieu, was an established cartographer who published numerous atlases. His son is said to have collaborated with him for many years before establishing his own independent career.

Pierre Antoine Tardieu’s most famous work includes engravings of the islands of La Palma and Tenerife, for which in 1818 he was awarded a bronze medal by King Louis-Phillipe for the beauty and accuracy of his mapping. Other famous work includes his mapping of Louisiana and Mexico, engravings of Irish counties, maps of Russia and Asia, and his highly celebrated illustrations of all the provinces of France. He was also the first mapmaker to engrave on steel.

Tardieu was a popular map engraver in his lifetime, enjoying the patronage of the likes of Alexander von Humboldt and respect among his peers. In 1837, he was appointed the title Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur. As was written in his obituary in the Bulletin of the Geographical Society of France, he was renowned for his combination of technical talent and scholarly research skills and praised for furthering his family’s well-respected name in the scientific arts.