First edition, no. 51 of a limited edition of 312. This work collects in facsimile some of the most important cartographic contributions made by Spain and Portugal in the mapping of the American continent. The vast majority are manuscripts commencing with the very first to depict America, the Juan de la Cosa, dating from 1500. Each map is accompanied by descriptive text and most significantly a list of placenames, a remarkable reference source. The maps cover the period from 1493 and the map of the north coast of Hispaniola by Christopher Columbus, through 1699 and Armando de Arce’s map of the Mississippi River. Highlights include maps by Diego Ribeiro, Alonso de Santa Cruz, Juan Martinez, Juan de Oliva, Jun Lopez de Velasco, and Sebastian de Ruesta. The project began in the 1920s but was delayed by the Spanish Civil War. It was finally printed in a limited edition of 312, this example is numbered 51. Provenance: Acquired from Frame, Madrid, 1992; Juan and Peggy Rada Collection.