ANTIQUE MAPS of THE WORLD

If you are looking for authentic, antiquarian maps of
THE WORLD by BUFFIER

This Page is provided as a REFERENCE RESOURCE - it is NOT an Inventory.

POSTAPRINT supplied picture framers and antiquarian map & print dealers for over over a quarter of a century. Examples of the cartographer's art from the 16th to the 19th century, along with engravings, lithographs and etchings by leading artists of their generation. Historical maps, views, and engravings on virtually every subject, including Vanity Fair (Spy) Cartoons. Postaprint also supplied antique prints and maps to Art Galleries, Shops and Fine Art Retailers.

Although I have now retired and the Postaprint Website & ordering facilities are no longer available, these Reference Pages are being left in place. We do hope you will find them to be helpful and informative. They cover many of the pictures and maps we had the pleasure of dealing in over so many years.
A full index of all such pages will be found HERE.

My wife does have an eBay Store, JULIE'S ANTIQUE PRINTS, with a nice range of antique prints, engravings, maps and books.

EMAIL ENQUIRIES

GEOGRAPHIE UNIVERSELLE
BY BUFFIER - 6TH EDITION
CHEZ PIERRE-FRANCOIS GIFFARY, PARIS - 1749

Click on image to view a larger version

Some Background Information about the Maps

The maps in this work are copperplate engravings a method used until approximately 1830. They appeared in a form of atlas that could be used while travelling and the small maps (approx. 8x6.5 inches - 170x135 mm,) folded out from an even smaller book.

The style of these small, delicate French maps, is typical of the 18th century as can be seen when compared with maps by Allain Manesson Mallet, Robert Morden, John Speed and Christopher Saxton. They cannot really be compared with the more prolific cartographers of the 17th and 18th century such as the Blaeu family or John Speed as they do not show roads and the cartouches are not as highly decorative (a difficult feat to accomplish on such a small scale).

The map of the Americas is also characteristic of the 18th century because California is shown as an island, this is due to the fact that, at the time that these maps were produced, little was known about the geography of America. Also, in the map of the twin hemispheres of the world, another inaccuracy occurs: Australia (Nouvelle Hollande) is mishaped and continues to New Guinea, it is not depicted as the isolated island that we now know that it is. This kind of cartographic inaccuracy adds to the charm of these maps.

The maps are delightful, small and, for their time, accurate. They are simple yet effective, they show principal towns, mountain ranges etc. and the cartouches are informative and attractive.

Other Postaprint feature pages containing information about 17th and 18th century cartography not mentioned above

Antique maps
A brief history of Map making
Emanuel Bowen
Jacques Chiquet
Francis Grose
Thomas Kitchin
John Owen and Emanuel Bowen

THIS IS A LIST OF THE MAPS.

Click any underlined text to view the scanned image.

AFRICA CONTINENT: Attractive.
ASIA CONTINENT: Attractive.
BRITISH ISLES GENERAL MAP: Attractive.
EUROPE CONTINENT: Attractive.
FRANCE GENERAL MAP: Attractive. Boxed title.
GERMANY EMPIRE: Attractive. Includes parts Poland. The map extends from the North Sea/German Ocean to the River Visual. Southwards to Venice. Encompasses Poland. Silos. Austria. Etc.
GERMANY RHINE: Attractive. Haut et Bas Rhine. The map extends from Westphalia to Strasbourg. Saab. Loraine. Etc.
GREECE GENERAL MAP: Attractive. Includes: Crete. The map extends to Constantinople and Includes the west coast of Turkey/Natolia. 'Carte de la Grece Ancienne et moderne'.
GREECE/TURKEY: Attractive. Includes: Balkans. Etc. The map extends from Hungary to Crete - eastward to Crimea. Black Sea. Asia Minor. Cyprus. Etc.
HOLLAND VII PROVINCES: Attractive.
ITALY GENERAL MAP: Attractive. Includes: Sicily. Corsica. Sardinia.
POLAND GENERAL MAP: Attractive. Boxed title. Includes the Baltic States. Lithuania. Ukraine. Prussia. Transylvania. Moldavia. Etc.
SCANDINAVIA GENERAL MAP: Attractive. Boxed Title. Sweden. Norway. Denmark. Finland. Livonia. Baltic States. Denmark.
SPAIN PENINSULA: Attractive. Includes Balearics.
SWISS GENERAL MAP: Attractive. Includes Savoy. 'Carte de Suisse et de Savoye…'
TURKEY IN ASIA: Attractive. Black Sea to Nile. Includes Georgia. Parts of Natolia. Cyprus. (Mis-shaped). Armenia. Kurdistan. Syria. Israel. Iraq - extending to the mouth of the Euphrates.
USA AMERICAS: CALIFORNIA AN ISLAND. North and South America on 1 sheet.
WORLD TWIN-HEMI: AUSTRALIA elongated into New Guinea. 'Amp Mooned'.

Do visit
JULIE'S ANTIQUE PRINTS
A wide range of genuine antique engravings, maps, prints, lithographs and books.

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