Pierre Du Val
Paris, 1659
1663
10.0 x 12.5 cms
Copper engraving
18736
excellent
State 3 of 5, issued in 1663. Burden 341, as follows:
LA/ VIRGINIE/ Par P. Duvall Geogra. du/ Roy/ 1659
Copperplate engraving, 100 x 125 mm.
From: Le Monde Terrestre
Following his own Cartes de géographie in 1657, Pierre Duval published this smaller size atlas which contains a larger quantity of maps. Unlike the earlier one this contained descriptive text, and was styled like La géographie françoise, 1659. In the List of Geographical Atlases in the Library of Congress, Phillips describes the first edition as being published in 1658; however, no example of it has been located. The earliest known edition appears to have been in 1660; this date is found on the title page of the example of a 1663 edition found in the American Geographical Society. However, no example of this edition has been located. The earliest surviving issue is in the New York Public Library, it lacks an engraved title and dates from 1661; the date found on a number of maps within. This is a standard edition, however, all of the North American maps are in earlier states than have been found elsewhere.
The maps in the atlas appear to be derived from those of his uncle, Nicolas Sanson. This map of Virginia is the only one to bear a date, because of this it is listed separately from the other North American ones which are dated to 1660. It depicts the now defeated Swedish colony, and the inactive French claim of FLORIDE is clearly separated from Virginia. A rudimentary inset of the island of Bermuda is suspended from the longitudinal marker. The popular little atlas appeared in later editions entitled La Géographie Universelle in 1661, and Le Monde ou la Géographie Universelle in 1663, 1670, 1672, 1676, 1677, 1682 and 1688. The author has identified five states. There is a later derivative published in Nuremberg, 1678:
State 1 1659
Dated 1659
State 2 1661
The title is altered to Carte de LA VIRGINIE Par P.Duval Geogra, du Rov A PARIS. There is much new nomenclature including Nouuel Amster=dam and Lac Erie
State 3 1663
The date is removed
State 4 1672
The following new nomenclature appears: al= Manhate is appended to Nouuel Amster=dam, as is ou N. HOLANDE to N. PAIS BAS, Iroquois and Melilot also appear
State 5 c.1687
The plate number 9 is added in the lower right corner
Duval 1659 [and 1660]
Bears MER DE NORT
Beer 1678
Bears MARE DEL NORT
(Burden 341)
Pierre Du Val was one of the most influential French mapmakers of the third quarter of the seventeenth century. He was the son-in-law and apprentice of Nicolas Sanson, the foremost French mapmaker of the period. From 1650, he was the official royal Geographer to the King of France Louis XIV, who had encouraged him to move to Paris. He published a wide range of atlases, individual maps of the world and the continents, as well as wall maps. His work was of great significance.