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Description

Early English map of Southern part of the British Colonies in America, New France, Louisiana, the Caribbean and Central America.

The map is a landmark for two different reasons, being the first American map to appear in Gentleman's Magazine and the first map of America engraved by Emanuel Bown. The detail of the map is quite remarkable and the engraving quite refined. The annotations and detail in the map are also excellent for the period.

Condition Description
Minor repairs along the top margin and minor misfolding. Smome loss of neatline on right side.
Gentleman's Magazine Biography

The Gentleman’s Magazine was a British publication that helped to normalize the use of maps in support of articles and features. It was founded in 1731 by the prominent London publisher Edward Cave, a pioneer in periodical journalism. The magazine continued in print for nearly two centuries, shuttering production in 1922.

This was the publication which first used the word “magazine”, from the French for storehouse. Cave wanted to create a storehouse of knowledge and he employed some of London’s best writers to fill his pages: Samuel Johnson gained his first regular employment by writing for the Gentleman’s Magazine. Other famous contributors included Jonathan Swift.

The publication covered a broad range of topics, from literature to politics, and, from 1739, frequently used maps as illustrations. The first map they printed was a woodcut of Crimea; the second was a fold-out map of Ukraine by Emanuel Bowen. Maps were used to show battle lines, to chronicle voyages, and to educate about areas with which Britain traded. Certain geographers, like Thomas Jefferys, contributed several maps to the publication.