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Description

Fine Double-Hemisphere World Map—Jaillot’s Final World Map

Fine example of Hubert Jaillot's final double hemisphere map of the world, first published in 1695.

This is the later state of the map; the primary difference between this and the early state is that California is corrected to be shown as (nearly) a peninsula, and the large horizontal shore stretching across the North Pacific has been removed. The later state can also be identified by the addition of “Geographe de sa Majesté” in Jaillot’s title.

The original map was made for the Atlas François and was first published in 1695 and reprinted in 1696, 1698, 1700, and 1706. Geographically and aesthetically, the 1695 map is very similar to Jaillot’s larger world map of 1674, which was based on the work of Sanson.

In the eastern hemisphere, Africa, Asia, and Europe are thick with inland details of mountains, lakes, rivers, cities, and political units, such as empires. Madagascar is slightly arced to the east, which is a typical depiction for the time. In the Arctic are the open coastlines of Greenland, Spitsbergen, and Nova Zemla [sic.]. In Maritime Southeast Asia, Terre de Papous has a sharp, elongated appearance, the conglomeration of several islands whose precise outlines were still unknown.

Australia is unfinished to the east, but has several toponyms along its shores. These originate from Dutch encounters with the continent as they sailed to trade with Southeast Asia. They include Terre de Arnhem, in reference to the Arnhem, a Dutch East India ship, which sighted the area in 1623. Witlande recalls Gerrit Frederikszoon de Witt, captain of the Vianen, which sailed in 1628. De Witt ran aground near what is now Port Hedland. He managed to free his ship by offloading cargo and coasted southward. Houtmans and Edels Eyl both refer to the same voyage. Jacob d’Edel, in the Amsterdam, along with Frederik de Houtman in the Dordrecht came within sight of the western coast in 1619. Also here is Terre de Nuitz; Pieter Nuyts, a Dutch navigator, commanded the Gulden Zeepaert along the southern coast in 1627.

In the western hemisphere, California appears to be a peninsula again, although closer inspection shows it to be not actually attached via the Gulf of California. In the late-seventeenth century, many mapmakers had adopted the island depiction. However, others were questioning its existence, such as Guillaume Delisle. Jaillot hedged his bets here, approximating California as a peninsula while not actually connecting it near Mexico.

New Guinea is a massive island adrift from its neighbors. Nearby is an unfinished, finger-like landmass called Terr de Quir, an approximation of Vanuatu that was encountered during Quiros’ 1605 voyage in search of a Pacific paradise. Farther north, an exaggerated Hokkaido, usually shown as an island of varying sizes on maps of this period, creates a large peninsular bulge to far northeastern Asia. Farther south, the short, open shores of Van Diemen’s Land and New Zealand are included; they were both sighted by Abel Tasman on his 1642 voyage.

Running across both hemispheres are long coastlines that, though unconnected, suggest a continent between them. The southern continent was a long- and much-hoped-for geographic chimera. It was thought that a continent-sized landmass had to exist in the southern hemisphere to balance out the continents of the north. Cook disproved the idea of a large, temperate southern continent on his second voyage (1772-5), but, in the late-seventeenth century, the hunt was still on for Terra Australia Incognita.  

There are decorative details where the hemispheres join. Above are triumphant angels framing a cartouche with the King’s coat of arms. The map is dedicated to the French King, which was Louis XIV when the map was originally published. Below, mermaids and sea monsters guard a cartouche with the publication details.

Condition Description
Expertly repaired tears and folds splits at lower centerfold.
Reference
Shirley, Mapping the World, map 569; Gunter Schilder, Australia Unveiled: The Share of the Dutch Navigators in the Discovery of Australia (Amsterdam: Theaturm Orbis Terrarum Ltd., 1976); R. Clancy, The Mapping of Terra Australis (Macquarie Park: Universal Press, 1995). KAP
Alexis-Hubert Jaillot Biography

Alexis-Hubert Jaillot (ca. 1632-1712) was one of the most important French cartographers of the seventeenth century. Jaillot traveled to Paris with his brother, Simon, in 1657, hoping to take advantage of Louis XIV's call to the artists and scientists of France to settle and work in Paris. Originally a sculptor, he married the daughter of Nicholas Berey, Jeanne Berey, in 1664, and went into partnership with Nicholas Sanson's sons. Beginning in 1669, he re-engraved and often enlarged many of Sanson's maps, filling in the gap left by the destruction of the Blaeu's printing establishment in 1672.