NORTH AMERICA CLUNY'S VOYAGES 1772 VAUGONDY & DIDEROT UNUSUAL ANTIQUE MAP

Description: Striking and highly detailed interesting 1772 copper engraving map of North America and Greenland, with adjacent parts of Europe and Asia. This map was drawn by Vaugondy to illustrate the mythical voyage of Captain Cluny. Depicts North America from above the Arctic Circle, to the Gulf of Mexico, including an embryonic depiction of present day Alaska. Shows a supposed Northwest Passage extending from Repulse Bay to the mythical Arctic Cape Fowler. To the east is Greenland, part of the European continent, and the northern portion of Africa.
 
This map is part of the 10 map series prepared by Vaugondy for the Supplement to Diderot's Encyclopédie, of which this is plate 10. This seminal map series, exploring the mapping of North American and specifically the Northwest Passage was one of the first studies in comparative cartography.
 
Composition and Style:
 
The map is a black-and-white engraved representation, showcasing the cartographic style of the late 18th century. It exhibits a detailed grid system with longitudes and latitudes marked, reflecting the period's scientific approach to cartography. The style is meticulous, with careful labeling of geographical features.
 
Medium:
 
The medium used for this map is engraving on paper, a common practice in the 18th century for producing detailed and durable maps. This technique allows for precise lines and intricate details, suitable for the map’s purpose of depicting geographical explorations.
 
Subject Matter:
 
The map covers parts of North America, Europe, and the Arctic regions, highlighting areas such as the Baffin Bay, Labrador, Greenland, and the northern parts of Europe. It includes notations of explorations, such as "Découvert par Berg en 1741" and "Terre découverte par Coockson," indicating discoveries and voyages significant to the era's geographic understanding.
 
Cultural and Historical Context:
 
The map was created during a time of intense exploration and interest in discovering a Northwest Passage, a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic Ocean. This period saw numerous exploratory missions, driven by the desire for new trade routes and geopolitical advantages. The map reflects the European perspective and understanding of geography during the late Enlightenment, a time when scientific inquiry and exploration were highly valued.
 
Notable Features:
 
- Regions and Geographic Features: The map details various landmasses and water bodies, marking regions like "Amerique Septentrionale," "Mer Glaciale," and "Mer du Sud." It also highlights significant features such as "Cercle polaire arctique" and the "Partie Inconnue," indicating unexplored areas.
 
- Inscriptions and Annotations: Several annotations provide insights into discoveries and expeditions, such as "Smith's Sound" and "Baye de Baffin," named after explorers who contributed to the mapping of these regions. The map also includes references to voyages, such as those by Captain Cluny and other explorers, reflecting the collaborative nature of geographic discovery.
 
- Comparative Cartography: This map is part of a broader effort in comparative cartography, comparing different maps and sources to create a more comprehensive understanding of the world. It reflects the integration of various explorers’ findings into one coherent representation, showcasing the evolving knowledge of the time.
 
Significance:
 
This work is significant not only for its cartographic content but also for its role in the dissemination of geographic knowledge during the Enlightenment. It represents the collaborative efforts of explorers and cartographers to chart unknown territories and provides a window into the scientific and exploratory mindset of the 18th century. The map serves as a historical document, capturing the interplay between exploration, science, and cartography.
 
In summary, the map "Partie de la Carte du Captaine Cluny" by Didier Robert de Vaugondy and Denis Diderot is a valuable artifact of 18th-century cartography. It encapsulates the period's exploratory spirit and advances in geographic knowledge, contributing to the broader understanding of the world during a pivotal time in history.
 
Date: 1772 ( undated )

Dimension: Paper size approx.: cm 52,4 x 41,9

Condition: Very strong and dark impression on good paper. Paper with chains and wiremarks. Map uncolored. Wide top and lower margins. Good lateral margons. Small foxing and browning. Small moisture signs. Sheet folded. Conditions are as you can see in the images. 

Mapmakers: Gilles (1688 - 1766) and Didier (c. 1723 - 1786) Robert de Vaugondy were map publishers, engravers, and cartographers active in Paris during the mid-18th century. The father and son team were the inheritors to the important Sanson cartographic firm whose stock supplied much of their initial material. Graduating from Sanson's map's Gilles, and more particularly Didier, began to produce their own substantial corpus of work. Vaugondys were well respected for the detail and accuracy of their maps in which they made excellent use of the considerable resources available in 18th century Paris to produce the most accurate and fantasy-free maps possible. The Vaugondys compiled each map based upon their own superior geographic knowledge, scholarly research, the journals of contemporary explorers and missionaries, and direct astronomical observation - moreover, unlike many cartographers of this period, they commonly took pains to reference their source material. Nevertheless, even in 18th century Paris geographical knowledge was severely limited - especially regarding those unexplored portions of the world, including the poles, the Pacific northwest of America, and the interior of Africa and South America. In these areas the Vaugondys, like their rivals De L'Isle and Buache, must be considered speculative geographers. Speculative geography was a genre of mapmaking that evolved in Europe, particularly Paris, in the middle to late 18th century. Cartographers in this genre would fill in unknown areas on their maps with speculations based upon their vast knowledge of cartography, personal geographical theories, and often dubious primary source material gathered by explorers and navigators. This approach, which attempted to use the known to validate the unknown, naturally engendered many rivalries. Vaugondy's feuds with other cartographers, most specifically Phillipe Buache, resulted in numerous conflicting papers being presented before the Academie des Sciences, of which both were members. The era of speculatively cartography effectively ended with the late 18th century explorations of Captain Cook, Jean Francois de Galaup de La Perouse, and George Vancouver. After Didier died, his maps were acquired by Jean-Baptiste Fortin who in 1787 sold them to Charles-François Delamarche (1740 - 1817). While Delamarche prospered from the Vaugondy maps, he also defrauded Vaugondy's window Marie Louise Rosalie Dangy of her inheritance and may even have killed her.

Denis Diderot (October 5, 1713 - July 31, 1784) was a French Enlightenment era philosopher, publisher and writer. Diderot was born in the city of Langres, France and educated at the Lycée Louis le Grand where, in 1732, he earned a master of arts degree in philosophy. Diderot briefly considered careers in the clergy and in law, but in the end chose the more fiscally challenge course of a writer. Though well respected in philosophical circles Diderot was unable to obtain any of the government commissions that commonly supported his set and consequently spent much of his life in deep poverty. He is best known for his role in editing and producing the Encyclopédie . The Encyclopédie was one of the most revolutionary and impressive works of its time. Initially commissioned as a translation of Ephraim Chambers' Cyclopaedia, or Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Diderot instead turned into a much larger and entirely new work of monumental depth and scope. Diderot's Encyclopédie was intended to lay bare before the common man the intellectual mysteries of science, art and philosophy. This revolutionary mission was strongly opposed by the powers of the time who considered a learned middle class it a threat to their authority. In the course of the Encyclopédie production Diderot was imprisoned twice and the work itself was officially banned. Nonetheless, publication continued in response to a demand exceeding 4000 subscribers. The Encyclopédie was finally published in 1772 in 27 volumes. Following the publication of the Encyclopédie Diderot grew in fame but not in wealth. When the time came to dower his only surviving daughter, Angelique, Diderot could find no recourse save to sell his treasured library. In a move of largess, Catherine the II Russia sent an emissary to purchased the entire library on the condition that Diderot retain it in his possession and act as her "librarian" until she required it. When Diderot died of gastro-intestinal problems 1784, his heirs promptly sent his vast library to Catherine II who had it deposited at the Russian National Library, where it resides to this day.