Historic Maps
Lovely Handcolored Map of North America and Canada
c. 1755 (1755-Dated) French and Indian War Era, Hand-colored, Copper-engraved, Map of North America and Canada, entitled, “Partie Orientale de la Nouvelle France ou du CANADA...,” Jacques Nicolas Bellin, Paris, Choice Very Fine.
This original North America Double-page engraved map of North America and Eastern Canada with lovely yellow outline Hand-coloring, size 21.25” x 24”. The full title, which is located within the Cartouche at lower right reads, in full:

“Partie Orientale de la Nouvelle France ou du CANADA - Par Mr. Bellin Inoenieur du Roy et de la Marine Pour Suruir a’ L’Intelligence des affairs et de L’ Estat present en Amerique communiquee’ au Public par les Heritiers de Homan en L’an 1755.”

This is a very important and highly attractive large-scale map of North America by one of the eighteenth-century's greatest cartographers. This map is very clean, well printed, and quite impressive being of the early French and Indian War era. The Hand-color of this map is in excellent museum quality for display.
Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-72), was then the official hydrographer to Louis XV, and as master of the Dépot des Cartes et Plans de La Marine, had access to the most advanced cartographic resources available to the French state. The present map is one of his finest works, and was included as part of the L'Hydrographie Française, a great sea atlas, published by Bellin in two volumes from 1755 to 1766. It was also sold separately, as indicated in the lower right corner of the map for a price of "Cinquante Sols." Bellin was so highly regarded that the British (who were almost always at war with France) made him a member of their Royal Society.