A Curious Map of the World Corrected from the observations.. A New and Curious Map of the World Illustrated with the Constellations of the Celestial Globe.

The very rare, first English issued version of Jaugeon’s famous double hemisphere world map by Samuel Parker.

This is the first English issued version of N. Jaugeon’s spectacular world map and the prototype from which Richard Marshall later based his published version issued in c.1770 and 1785, from a new engraved plate.

This first issue can be identified by the following;

1. It has Samuel Parker’s name at the end of the top title banner.
2. The ends of the top title banner have swirls
3. There is a Rocco style frame for the centre title panel.
4.  sold by, J. Cluer at Bow Church Yard, London, at bottom of the centre title panel.
5. Dedication line at bottom reads; ..the map is dedicated by his loyal subjects B. Okell and J. Cluer
6. Acanthus leaves in the two lower corner.

Rodney Shirley refers to this map in his, The Mapping of the World. London 1993 (3rd edition), p.541, where he states; An English derivative was prepared by Samuel Parker in the 1720’s. We have been unable to ascertain where Shirley sighted the map or obtained this information. The press ‘at the sign of the Maidenhead, opposite the east door of St Maryle-Bow in Bow Lane was founded by John Cluer during the first decade of the eighteenth century, and taken over by his brother in law William Dicey, as a going concern in November 1736.

The Richard Marshall edition of, A New Curious Map of the World, was printed from a totally new engraved plate and not a reworking of our map. Marshall’s map has been assumed to be the earliest British version of the Jaugeon/Desnos map and although essentially has the same composition, it differs in many ways.

1. Samuel Parker’s name at the end of the top title banner has been removed.
2. The ends of the top title banner which previously had decorative swirls have been removed.
3. The Rocco style frame for the centre title panel has been replaced by a simpler beaded frame with foliage at top.
4.  Printed and sold by R. Marshall No. 4, Aldermary Churchyard, at bottom of the centre title panel.
5. The dedication line at bottom now reads; ..the map is dedicated by his loyal subject Richd. Marshall.
6. The Acanthus leaves in the two lower corner have been removed.
7. The styling of the lettering that appears for; the title at top, on the sides and surrounding the two spheres has been changed.
8. All the small images surrounding the spheres and between the panels of text are now engraved in a much simpler restrained style.
9. The two faces in the  small sphere of the phases of the moon at centre top, have been removed
10. The addition of the tracks and discoveries of Cook’s three voyages have been added to the 1785 dated issue.

The two issues of the Marshall version of the map; one (undated) which shows a Australia prior to the discovery of the east coast by Cook in 1769 and one dated 1785 which has added the tracks and discoveries of Cook’s three voyages. The Aldermary Churchyard address was established by Cluer Dicey in 1754 in addition to the Bow Church Yard business and was run by Richard Marshall who had became a junior partner with 25% stake in the printing business, on November 1753. William and Cluer Dicey and Richard Marshall issued a catalogue of their stock with the Aldermary Church-Yard address, dated 1754 titled; Catalogue of Maps, Prints, Copy-Books, drawing-books and histories. The map is described in this catalogue under the heading,  M A P S on Two Sheets of Elephant Paper. / A Curious Map of the World; being the best and neatest ever finished in Europe; on which is rendered familiar to the meanest Capacity, all the Constellations of the Cælestial Globe, and Schemes of the most celebrated Philosophers: Approved of, and Published at the Request of several of the Royal Society of London, and Royal Academy of Paris. 

The map has an unusual amount of detailed information recorded around the hemispheres. The textual descriptions of geographical and astronomical terms, within the panelled circumferential bands are by the writer Claude Berey. Between each panel are miniature sketches of the principal constellations, while in each corner is a circular diagram showing the solar, planetary, civil time systems and one explaining the planets’ astrological configurations. Between the hemispheres at the top, is a complex lunar phase diagram, in the centre is a precession of the seasons with zodiacal equivalents and at bottom a triple circled device explaining the astronomical systems of Ptolemy, Brahe and Copernicus. Additionally, the outer borders contain information on the characteristics of the known planets: Saturn, Jupiter, the Moon, Mercury and Venus. As Rodney Shirley states ‘..the work is a veritable compendium.’

Australia is shown with Dutch discoveries up to and including those of Abel Tasman’s two voyages 1642-1644, Dampier’s visit to Shark Bay in 1699 is not noted, although Dampier’s Strin, in New Guinea is. The north-east coast of Asia is shown with Honshu named Land of Yedso, joined to Hokkaido and Land of Compagny, separated by Str of Uries. California is shown as an island with an indented northern coast and a few place names. The Great lakes are shown as complete. The Great Wall of China is shown.