COLLECTION NAME:
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection
Record
Author:
Sartine, Antoine
Author:
Depot de la Marine
Date:
1778
Short Title:
Plan du Port Dauphin
Publisher:
Depot de la Marine
Publisher Location:
Paris
Type:
Chart Map
Obj Height cm:
39
Obj Width cm:
58
Scale 1:
82,360
State/Province:
Nova Scotia (Canada)
Region:
Cape Breton Island
Event:
American Revolution
Subject:
Nautical Charts
Full Title:
Plan du Port Dauphin
List No:
15933.012
Series No:
12
Publication Author:
Sartine, Antoine
Publication Author:
Depot de la Marine
Pub Date:
1780
Pub Title:
Neptune Americo-Septentrional contenant les Cotes, Îles et Bancs, les Baies, Ports, et Mouillages, et les Sondes des Mers de cette partie du Monde, depuis le Groenland inclusivement, jusques et compris le Golfe du Mexique avec les Îles de Sous-le-Vent et du Vent, accompagné de Plans particuliers des Ports les plus fréquentés. Ou Recueil de Cartes Hydrographiques à l'usage des Vaibeaux du Roi, Redige d'apres les Cartes Françoises et Etrangeres les plus estimées Rectifie d'apres des Plans Manuscrus authentiques, et assujetti aux Observations astronomiques. Dressé au Dépôt Général des Cartes, Plans et Journaux de la Marine, et Publie par Ordre du Roi.
Pub Reference:
Howes N-52; Phillips, Atlases 1211; Howes N52; Sabin 52337.
Pub Note:
"First Edition. A Nearly Flawless Example. The French Navy's Official Atlas of the American Coasts During the Revolution. "A collection of very beautiful charts of the coast of North America, with plans of the ports and harbours" - Sabin The Neptune Americo-Septentrional, a seminal collection of nautical charts, was published during the height of the American Revolutionary War, under the auspices of Antoine Sartine, Minister of the French Navy. This atlas, first released for the strategic use of the French Navy, encapsulates an extensive survey of the North American coastline, stretching from Greenland to the Gulf of Mexico, including Florida, Louisiana, and various significant ports and rivers. This atlas represents a critical moment in maritime history, produced amidst the geopolitical turbulence of the late 18th century. Its creation coincided with a period marked by the American Revolution and the ensuing recalibration of colonial powers. Antoine Sartine, notable for his efforts in modernizing the French fleet, orchestrated the compilation of these charts, underscoring the strategic maritime importance of North America during this era. The detailed maps and plans within the atlas were integral to naval operations, offering unprecedented precision and breadth in depicting the American Atlantic coast and its adjoining waterways. The Neptune Americo-Septentrional draws upon both French and foreign cartographic sources, augmented by authentic manuscript plans and aligned with contemporary astronomical observations. The atlas includes 36 charts and plans, showcasing key locations such as Chesapeake Bay, the ports of Boston Harbor, Charleston Harbor, Narragansett Bay, Port Royal, New York Harbor and the Delaware Bay and River to Philadelphia. Other important charts cover Florida, the Gulf Coast and Cape Fear, North Carolina. Notably, William Faden, the preeminent English cartographer, acquired three copies of the atlas, distributing them to influential figures including the hydrographer to the East India Company, the secretary of the admiralty, and King George III. Furthermore, the Dépôt de la Marine, the French governmental body responsible for the atlas's publication, notably sent a copy to American statesman Benjamin Franklin. This gesture symbolizes the intertwining of scientific, military, and diplomatic endeavors in the late 18th century, epitomizing the atlas’s enduring legacy in the annals of cartographic and naval history. Folio. Full contemporary French calf with a trellis-and-dot design, a large gilt device of the French Royal Coat of Arms at the center of both covers, the covers ruled with three-line gilt roll-tool; spine in eight compartments separated by raised bands, red morocco title piece in the second gilt-lettered "NEPT | AMER | SEPTENT", the rest with gilt-tooled floral designs. Contemporary blue paper endpapers. Engraved title, 26 engraved charts on 13 full sheets and 5 half sheets, by Sartine and others. The Dépôt de la Marine, known more formally as the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine, was the central charting institution of France. The centralization of hydrography in France began in earnest when Jean-Baptiste Colbert became First Minister of France in 1661. Under his watch, the first Royal School of Hydrography began operating, as did the first survey of France’s coasts (1670-1689). In 1680, Colbert consolidated various collections of charts and memoirs into a single assemblage, forming the core of sources for what would become the Dépôt. The Dépôt itself began as the central deposit of charts for the French Navy. In 1720, the Navy consolidated its collection with those government materials covering the colonies, creating a single large repository of navigation. By 1737, the Dépôt was creating its own original charts and, from 1750, they participated in scientific expeditions to determine the accurate calculation of longitude. In 1773, the Dépôt received a monopoly over the composition, production, and distribution of navigational materials, solidifying their place as the main producer of geographic knowledge in France. Dépôt-approved charts were distributed to official warehouses in port cities and sold by authorized merchants. The charts were of the highest quality, as many of France’s premier mapmakers worked at the Dépôt in the eighteenth century, including Philippe Bauche, Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, Rigobert Bonne, Jean Nicolas Buache, and Charles-François Beautemps-Beaupré. The Dépôt continued to operate until 1886, when it became the Naval Hydrographic Service. In 1971, it changed names again, this time to the Naval and Oceanographic Service (SHOM). Although its name has changed, its purpose is largely the same, to provide high quality cartographic and scientific information to the France’s Navy and merchant marine." (Ruderman, 2024)
Pub List No:
15933.000
Pub Type:
Regional Atlas
Pub Type:
Chart Atlas
Pub Maps:
26
Pub Height cm:
66
Pub Width cm:
52
Image No:
15933012.jp2
Authors:
Sartine, Antoine ; Depot de la Marine
