Boston Rare MapsSpecializing in antique American maps & prints
A complete and uncut sheet of 17th-century geographic playing cards published in Paris by Pierre du Val likely for educational use. The game includes 52 cards arranged in the usual four suits, each dedicated to a continent: hearts to Europe, diamonds to Asia, spades to Africa, and clubs to the Americas. Each card features a […]
A complete and uncut set of a charming geographical card game, scarce in this condition. The game includes 52 cards arranged in the usual four suits, each dedicated to a different continent: hearts to Europe, diamonds to Asia, spades to Africa, and clubs to the Americas. Each card features a kingdom or region followed by a list […]
A delightful and excessively rare deck of hand-colored geographic playing cards, complete and in brilliant condition. The deck consists of 52 cards in 4 suits, as with a regular pack of cards. Here, however, each suit is assigned a continent: Hearts represent Europe; diamonds, Africa; spades, Asia; and clubs the Americas. The Ace through Queen of […]
Though a standard deck can be used to play the Jeu de Geographie, Covens & Mortier also issued a special deck of cartographic cards designed for the game (Only the “Grand Tartarie” card is present here.) The text provides the rules of the game and a brief descriptive geography of 52 regions of the world, […]
An interesting map depicting the tremendous reach of the British Empire in the middle of the 18th century. The map depicts the Atlantic basin, including the western portions of Europe and Africa, eastern North America, and the Caribbean. A combination of coloring and underlining are used to indicate British possessions, both present and “ancient.” Extensive […]
An extremely rare work of 18th-century speculative geology, featuring color-printed plates including thematic maps of Europe, Africa and northeastern North America. Note: images of all plates will be provided on request. A former pupil of Jacob Christoph Le Blon, and a pioneer in color-printing, Jacques Fabien Gautier Dagoty improved on the methods of his teacher, […]
Joseph Priestley’s very rare New Chart of History, a “masterpiece of visual economy” (Rosenberg and Grafton) and a landmark in the display of information. Owned in partnership with Barry Ruderman Antique Maps. The polymathic Joseph Priestly (1733-1804) was a British clergyman, theologian, scientist, political theorist, educator and prolific author with more than 150 works to […]
Only the third example located of this 18th-century geographical game board published by Thomas Jefferys in 1770. The board consists of a world map on a stereographic projection and centered on London. The route of a circumnavigation is outlined in blue and passes through 103 points of interest numbered in sequence. Players take turns by rolling […]
The first world map engraved and printed in America. This rare map appeared in the first American edition of Hawkesworth’s account of Cook’s first voyage, published in New York by James Rivington in 1774. The map is executed on a Mercator projection and indicates the tracks of voyages by Cook, Bougainville and Wallis. At least […]
A hitherto-unknown set of 18th-century American geographical playing cards possibly by Boston engraver and publisher John Norman. Following the Revolution, many Americans advocated the development of what might be called an “indigenous” geographic literature, produced by Americans for an American audience. By educating the citizenry about the American landscape, it was believed that this new canon […]