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Nouveau Mexique et Californie, published in Paris in 1683 by Alain Manesson Mallet, is a remarkable and unusual map portraying California as an island. This small-format map stands out for its distinct projection, not adhering to the conventions of either Sanson or Briggs, and is notable for its specific focus on California, including its charting of the Channel Islands.
The cartographic conception of California as an island, prominent in the 17th and early 18th centuries, has long captured the imagination of geographers and historians. Mallet's work exemplifies this tradition, reflecting the limited and often contradictory information available to European cartographers at the time. The map's divergence from the projections of prominent cartographers like Nicolas Sanson and Samuel Briggs underscores the fluid and experimental nature of cartographic knowledge in this period.
The map's aesthetic qualities, such as the unique projection and the careful depiction of place names and the Channel Islands, also highlight Mallet's craftsmanship and attention to detail. These elements enhance the map's historical significance, providing insight into the geographical understanding and artistic conventions of late 17th-century European cartography.
Furthermore, the singular focus on California as an island sets this map apart from many contemporaneous representations. While many maps of the time included California as part of a broader regional or continental depiction, Mallet's exclusive focus on the area illuminates the fascination and mystery surrounding this geographical misconception. It also emphasizes California's perceived importance and allure during a period marked by exploration, colonial ambition, and the quest for new trade routes.
Alain Mannesson Mallet (1630-1706) was a French mapmaker and engineer who served in the armies of Louis XIV. After rising through the ranks, Mallet was appointed as Inspector of Fortifications, a job which also required mathematical skills and which made him a competent military engineer. Eventually, he joined the court of Louis XIV at Versailles, where he taught math and focused on writing.
Mallet is best known for his Description de L’Univers, first published in 1683, in five volumes. A wide-ranging geographical work, the Description included textual descriptions of the countries of the world, as well as maps of the celestial sky and the ancient and modern worlds. The Description continued to be published until the early eighteenth century. He also published a work in three volumes on warfare (1684) and a primer on geometry (1702).
![California Water and Mining Co. [with:] Map of El Dorado County, Cal. Showing the Georgetown Divide and Portions of the Placerville and Forrest Hill Divide with the Ditches, Mines and Other Properties of the California Water Co. Situated Between The South Fork of Middle Fork and the South Fork of the American River 1880](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/91927.jpg)
