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Description

The first printed map of California as an island, issued in the same year as the title page to Herrera y Tordesillas more common title page to the 1622 edition of Descriptio Indiae Occidentalis. Both of these works were published by Michiel Colijn in Amsterdam in 1622. Among the theories suggested for the mapping of California as an island is the theory that Jacob Le Maire may have been the Dutch Mariner who took a map of California from a Spanish Vessel in 1620, which is referenced in Diderot's Encyclopedie (1770) and other sources as the basis for the insular California myth. Dora Polk notes that publisher Colijn used a map showing California as an island onth title page of both Le Maire's journal and the French and atin editions of Herrera y Tordesillas, unfortunately without explanation. The map is believed to be one that accompanied Ascencions's Relacion Breve of 1620, which is now lost. The printed description of the island appears to match the writings of Ascencion. Both the Le Maire book and title page are exceptionally rare. Neither Tooley nor Shirley list the map and only Sabin notes its existence. There are no recent catalogue or auction records of either the map or book being offered for sale. The map shows California in what would become known as the Briggs model. While it cannot be known with certainty why Colijn depicted California as an island, it is beyond question that these two title pages illustrations are the first depiction of the island on a printed map. On the verso (illustrated here) is a portrait of Le Maire, holding a map showing the region which would become known as Le Maire's Straits, which he navigated in 1615. A fine example, which we acquired from a private collector a number of years ago for our personal collection, but which we now offer for sale. No prior listings in a dealer catalogue in the past 25 years. The Herrera Title page was last recorded as being offered in 1993 in a dealer catalogue (Suarez Catalogue #43--$1400).