Map of Tierra del Fuego and the Straits of Magellan and Le Maire, c.1760
€ 340
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1760
Sheet size
20 × 31.5 cm (7.9 × 12.4 in)
Reference
BG-14078-36
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
Very good for age, with a central fold as issued. Slight toning and minor creasing in margins. Strong plate impression with sharp coastal detail.
About this sheet
Tierra del Fuego and the Straits of Magellan and Le Maire, an original copper engraving dated around 1760. The sheet is titled "Carte de la Terre de Feu et des Détroits de Magellan et de le Maire, avec les Nouvelles Isles d'Anycao et de Beauchêne," and carries a volume and plate reference in the upper right.
The map shows the southern tip of South America with the mainland ("Terre Ferme") at the top and the large island of "Terre de Feu" at the center, cut by the Strait of Magellan with its capes and bays lettered along the channel. The western entrance faces the "Mer du Sud" and the eastern side the "Mer du Nord." East of the Strait of Le Maire lie "I. de l'Etat" and the small islands to the south, with Cap de Horn near the foot, the Isles Barnevelt and the Diego Ramirez islands at the lower left. At the upper right the two island groups named in the title, "Isles d'Anycao" and "Isle de Beauchêne," stand out in the open Atlantic, along with the "Isle de Sable." The decorative title is set in a cartouche of script lettering on the right, and a scale of 40 leagues appears at the lower left.
The passages around Cape Horn and Tierra del Fuego mattered to every ship bound for the Pacific.
