Chart of the Antarctic Polar Circle with the countries adjoining BUACHE 1763 map
SKU: P-6-108957
'Chart of the Antarctic Polar Circle, with the countries adjoining, according to the New Hypothesis of M. Buache. From the Memoirs of the Royal Academy at Paris'
A fascinating speculative map of the Antarctic Regions, published in 1763 in the Gentleman's Magazine, based on Philippe Buache's hypothesised geography of the Antarctic continent. The map centers on the South Pole, extending north of the Tropic of Capricorn, including Cape Horn, the Cape of Good Hope, and southern Australia (incorrectly attached to New Guinea and Indonesia). Notably, New Zealand appears as the northern tip of a vast southern continent. Buache labels parts of the continent as "Land Yet Undiscovered" and "Frozen Sea as Supposed," reflecting contemporary guesses about the unknown region. The map references previous attempts to map the region by earlier explorers and cartographers including such as De L’Isle, Drake, Halley, and Ortelius. Buache's speculative theory proposed Antarctica as two landmasses separated by a frozen inland sea, inspired by Bouvet de Lozier's 1738-39 expedition, which reported massive icebergs. Buache theorized that these icebergs must have originated from a large frozen sea fed by mountain ranges and rivers. He believed this inland sea detached icebergs that floated away from the pole, similar to Arctic patterns. Buache's theories, originally published by the Royal Academy in Paris, were republished with this map in the Gentleman's Magazine. He was an innovative geographer who correctly identified the existence of Alaska and the Bering Strait but was mistaken about Antarctica's sub-glacial topography and the existence of a central Antarctic sea. A significant map in the history of early Antarctic mapping.
Size 20 x 23 cm | 8.0 x 9.0 inches
Date Published: 1763
Type: Antique copperplate map. The complete original explanatory text pages will be provided with the map.
Author: Buache, Philippe
Publication: Gentleman's Magazine
Condition: Fair |
Delivery & Returns
Packing
Items smaller than A4 size are usually packed in a stiffened, board-backed envelope. Larger items are rolled and packed in postal tubes. Large items which are too stiff to be rolled in wide-diameter tubes are mailed in all-board envelopes. In the unlikely event of damage in transit, please send the affected item or items back to us and we will provide a replacement or refund.
Delivery
Economy, tracked and express shipping options are available to all destinations worldwide. Over half our orders are sent to customers outside the United Kingdom and we have supplied over 30,000 buyers in over 70 different countries. We ship orders virtually every business day to customers in North America and Europe. The cost of delivery depends on the size of the largest item in your order, where you are located, and the delivery method that you choose at checkout. For orders received before 2pm, we can arrange delivery next day in the UK, within 2 business days to continental Europe and North America, and within 4 days to most other countries worldwide (excludes PO Box or APO/FPO (Military) addresses).
Returns
We accept returns for any reason if sent back to us within 14 days of receipt of your order. If any of your items are not as described, we will provide a full refund including reasonable return postage costs upon safe return to us. If you have changed your mind, you are responsible for the cost of returning the item to us. We describe the size, age and condition of all our products as fully and accurately as possible. Most of the items which we sell are in very good condition. However, the condition of antique and vintage prints and maps can vary. All of our product listings including a statement which classifies the condition as being either “Good”, “Fair”, or (rarely) “Poor” and which describes any material flaws, blemishes, imperfections or other significant features such as folds. Please read the description carefully before purchase.
Can we help? For more details or any questions.