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Description

Striking Double Hemisphere Map of the World Showing the Latest Discoveries in the 1740s

Fine large double hemisphere map of the world by renowned French mapmaker Gilles Robert de Vaugondy in 1752, first published in 1752.

It shows the Anson expedition and other voyages that took place in the late 1730s and 1740s and also depicts a remarkable projection of Australia.

The map is split into western and eastern hemispheres, which emphasize the broad Pacific Ocean and the large southern seas near the Antarctic; no southern continent is shown.

Between the hemispheres at the top is an elaborate cartouche. The title is ensconced in a monument supported by pillars and statues, with angels at either side. Just below the title is a crowned woman accompanied by a bearded man and a lion. At bottom, the publishing information is framed and draped with sashes, with two cherubs holding it aloft.

The map is full of fascinating cartographic details. For example, in the southwest of the western hemisphere, a cluster of antipodal points are plotted in the Pacific. They represent the opposite point on the globe from not only Paris, where the map was made, but also Madrid, London, Venice, Vienna, Constantinople, Stockholm, St. Petersburg, and Rome.

Pacific Islands

The eye is drawn particularly to the large landmass of Nouvelle Hollande, or Australia, which includes Van Dieman's Land, New Guinea, and eastern islands in its outline. The eastern most point that Vaugondy considers part of the Australian continent is Terre de S. Esprit, a reference to Austrialia de Espiritu Santo, a land contacted in 1606 by Pedro Ferdinand de Quiros. Quiros was an adamant promotor of Pacific colonization and he thought he had landed on a vast continent; in reality, he was on the largest island of the chain that makes up Vanuatu.

Farther east are other islands that Quiros described, as well as a land marked as Davis Land. The latter was supposedly seen by an English privateer in 1686, but it was most likely a mirage. Another apocryphal island is Terre de la Compagnie. Compagnies Land was supposedly sighted by the Dutchman Maarten Gerritszoon Vries on his 1643 voyage. He named the island for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) (Compagnies, or Company's Land). In reality, he had re-discovered one of the Kuril Islands. However, other mapmakers latched onto Compagnies Land in particular, enlarging and merging it with the other cartographic constructions of Yesso (Hokkaido) and/or Gamaland. Other important islands in the Pacific include New Zealand, which is shown here as a mere western coastline, based on the voyage of Tasman in the 1640s.

Recent Explorations

Besides islands, the hemispheres are dotted with the tracks of recent voyages. In the middle of the Pacific are two tracks that seem to mirror each other, that of the galleon Covadonga and that of Anson. Anson had sought the Covadonga, racing the Spanish treasure ship across the Pacific as it brought gold to Manila. He was sent to the Pacific on a mission to harass the Spanish in 1739 and finally captured the galleon in 1743. His ship Centurion returned home in 1744 via China and the Cape of Good Hope, completing a complete circumnavigation. The Covadonga's route to Acapulco from Manila is also marked, to the north of the twin tracks.

Besides the popular, at the time, voyage of Anson, there are other expeditions marked on the map that also discovered new lands in the mid-eighteenth century. East of Cape Horn is the island of St. Pierre, or San Pedro, so named by Captain Gregorio Jerez, commander of a Spanish vessel who accompanied a French convoy out of Saint-Malo.

The Atlantic is criss-crossed by the tracks of the Marie and the Aigle, which were vessels commanded by Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier. Bouvet was an employee of the French East India Company who was convinced that, given a chance, he could make discoveries around the South Pole, or near the much vaunted Terra Australis Incognita. In 1739, the Company gave him a chance. Bouvet meticulously searched the South Atlantic, but he had to return to France earlier than expected because his crew became too ill to continue. At the time this map was published, in 1752, Bouvet was serving as the governor of the Mascarene Islands, east of Madagascar. He was then France's best known explorer.

Robert de Vaugondy's map explains that the area in the Pacific Northwest of North America is not well known. This may have been a subtle dig at his colleagues and fellow French mapmakers Joseph-Nicolas Delisle and Philippe Buache. Delisle and Buache had published two maps in 1752 showing a large Sea of the West in the same area Vaugondy said was unknown. Geographers were split as to the existence of such a sea, and Vaugondy was the best known of those who argued, rightly, against its existence.

Gilles Robert de Vaugondy (1688-1766) was the head of a leading family of geographers in eighteenth century France. In 1760 he became geographer to King Louis XV. His son, Didier Robert de Vaugondy (ca. 1723-1786), was also a geographer and the two worked together. They were known for their exactitude and depth of research. In 1757, they produced the Atlas Universel, considered an authority for many years. This map is a fine example of their dedicated work.

Gilles Robert de Vaugondy Biography

Gilles Robert de Vaugondy (1688-1766) and Didier Robert de Vaugondy (1723-1786) were influential figures in the realm of 18th-century French cartography. Originating from Paris, their contributions to mapmaking were significant during an era of expansive geographical exploration.

Gilles Robert de Vaugondy entered the world of cartography not through family tradition but through personal interest and the budding opportunities of his time. Born in 1688, he worked during a time when Paris was becoming a central hub for cartographic activities. Gilles often incorporated the latest findings from explorers into his maps, making them sought-after for their contemporary relevance. His connections weren't limited to his immediate circle; he frequently interacted with other key mapmakers, staying updated on the latest techniques and findings.

His son, Didier, was born in 1723 and had the advantage of growing up surrounded by maps and globes. While his father was renowned for maps, Didier made a name for himself in the field of globemaking. His globes were some of the most precise and detailed in France, gaining recognition even among the royalty. In addition to his work in cartography and globemaking, Didier had a keen interest in education, especially after the expulsion of the Jesuits from France. He stepped in to produce geographical educational materials, fulfilling a newfound need.

The maps and globes produced by the Vaugondys remain an enduring testament to the peak of French cartography during the Enlightenment. Their works, characterized by precision and the inclusion of contemporary findings, helped to shape our understanding of the world during a transformative period in European history.