C1775

A New & Complete Mercator Chart of t…

Mapmaker:

Scarce c.18th hand coloured engraved world map on Mercator’s Projection with a decorative title at top left surrounded with floral motifs and swags. The map show the discoveries made by Captain Cook on his three voyages of exploration. Australia is … Read Full Description

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S/N: WM-1775-BOWEN–320324

(C024)

Categories: WORLD, MAPS & GLOBES

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Details

Full Title:

A New & Complete Mercator Chart of the World.

Date:

C1775

Mapmaker:

Thomas Bowen (1733 - 1790)

Condition:

In good condition, with centre fold as issued.

Technique:

Hand coloured copper engraving.

Image Size:

280mm

x 183mm

Paper Size:

367mm

x 232mm

Genuine antique
dated:

1775

Description:

Scarce c.18th hand coloured engraved world map on Mercator’s Projection with a decorative title at top left surrounded with floral motifs and swags.

The map show the discoveries made by Captain Cook on his three voyages of exploration. Australia is shown attached to Van Diemen’s Land as the discovery of Bass Strait by Bass and Flinders was in 1798-9.

Collections:
National Library of Australia: Bib ID610072

Thomas Bowen (1733 - 1790)

Influential 18th-century Welsh cartographer and engraver who operated at the height of British imperial expansion. Training under his father, Emanuel Bowen, the royal mapmaker to both the British and French crowns, Thomas eventually took over the family business in London. His career was defined by technical versatility, ranging from local road and ward maps for Noorthouck’s New History of London to global charts documenting the discoveries of Captain James Cook. His output reflects the era's obsession with exploration and trade, featuring notable works like his 1778 map of the Russian Empire and specialized charts of the West Indies. Despite his prolific output for major publications like Gentleman's Magazine and his contribution to defining the British cartographic landscape, Bowen faced chronic financial instability. His life came to a somber end in 1790 at the Clerkenwell workhouse, marking a stark contrast to the prestigious legacy of the Bowen name.

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