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Description

A Newly Discovered Map of America Showing California As An Island

Apparently the only known example of this interesting map of America, which credits "Vogel, sc." as its engraver.

While the map title identifies Frederick De Wit as the maker, this is clearly not the work of the famed Dutch mapmaker, as the engraving quality is quite crude in comparison to De Wit's work and we know of no maps by De Wit which were engraved by Vogel.   De Wit's America can be seen here:   https://www.raremaps.com/gallery/detail/51149

J.J. Vogel is known to have engraved a set of maps for Johannes Hoffman in Nuremberg in 1675, including a map of North America, which was copied from the Sanson-Jaillot series of maps, first engraved in 1672.

California is shown as an island on the second Sanson model.  Vogel's work is a very close copy of Burden's state 3 of De Wit's map, which Burden dates to circa 1678.  This is recognized by the inclusion of longitudinal numbers to the 8s (rather than 10s), first added in state 3 and the inclusion of ships in the Atlantic and Pacific, which were removed in state 4.

Rarity

The map is completely unrecorded and was unknown to Burden.

Condition Description
Section of the southern Pacific Ocean with a small restoration visible below the word "Capricorni". Repaired tear.