Robert Morden Map of The World – California as an Island 1700
Robert Morden was a geographer and publisher in Cornhill, London in the late 1600′s. He is probably best known for his contribution of large county maps to Camden’s ‘Britannia’ in 1695, which were re-issued at least three times through to the mid 1700′s. However his best work was probably in miniature format with the issue of world maps in ‘Geography Rectified’ in 1680 (see King: Antique Miniature Maps pp 148-149). This was also re-issued three times as well as having the same maps used in early editions of Patrick Gordon’s ‘Geography Anatomised’.
This map of the World comes from the 1700 edition of ‘Geography Rectified’. The most distinctive cartographic feature is the depiction of California as an island, a common misconception until incontroversible proof to the contrary was provided in 1720. The whole of the north west part of North America is left blank, North East Asia is little known, and Australasia is as yet only partially mapped. The map also outlines the speculative southern continent noted as ‘The Land of Parrots or Terra Incognita’.
The world map is exceptionally decorative with a banner title, a cartouche, and rather unusual nude figures in the four corners of the engraving.
The map measures 6″ by 3.5″ with two folds.
Robert Morden Map of The World - California as an Island 1700
Image/Text Copyright © 2011 Beach Antique Maps & Prints and on eBay