Nouveau Mexique & California 1683
Alain Manesson Mallet (1630 – 1706) was a renowned French military engineer, cartographer and surveyor. He began his career as a soldier in the army of King Louis XIV, and later became a Sergeant-Major and an Inspector of Fortifications. In 1683 he published his magnum opus, Description de l’Univers (Description of the Universe), a five volume work containing maps, plans, and views of the entire known world.
Mallet was an instrumental force behind the foundations of geometry and geography in Europe. Later in his life, he served as the mathematics and geography professor in the royal court of Louis XIV. He also produced several studies of spheres, including an armillary sphere, geometrical models, and terrestrial and celestial globes. For his final work, he created an instruction manual addressing the fields of geometry, trigonometry, planimetry and stereometry. This popular piece was illustrated with superb engravings featuring prominent landmarks and views.
Original Antique Map
Dimensions: 14" x 11" Framed
Published Date: 1683
Price: $1,585.00
This original map of Nouvelle Mexique et Californie, dated 1683, is by Alain Mallet (1630 – 1706). This map is from the French edition of his Description de L’Univers and shows one of the most famous inaccurancies of mapmaking, California as an Island, and is quite sought after because of the geographical error. This highly detailed map shows several islands in the channel between California and mainland, as well as, depicting California with a flat northern coastline. The Norto R. (Rio Grande) flows from a large interior lake, with Real de Nueva Mexico (Santa Fe) located on its bank, and empties incorrectly into the Gulf of California. The title cartouche is flanked by two native figures and two ships are engaged in battle in the lower part of the map. This map is in good condition. The framing is done to conservation standards with a museum mat and carved gold frame.