This map by Emanuel Bowen (1693?-1767) and John Gibson (fl.1748-73) was first published in the same year as John Mitchell’s landmark ‘Map of the British and French Dominions in North America’ and Lewis Evan’s ‘A General Map of the Middle British Colonies’ in 1755. Bowen was one of the most prominent figures in English cartography during the middle of the eighteenth century. As geographer to King George II he had access to all available material. The engraver was John Gibson and it was published by Robert Sayer ((1725?-94) It draws largely on the same cartography used on Mitchell’s map, especially for its depiction of the Ohio River. This map however extends further south to take in the West Indies and Central America. Following the Treaty of Paris, 1763, which concluded the French and Indian War, Bowen updated the map to reflect the new possessions of the European powers. Britain now had control of the entire eastern region to the Mississippi River, except for the region of New Orleans which remained French and is defined thus on the map. For this state, Bowen also added Articles IV, V, VI, VII, IX, XVII, XVIII AND XX of the Treaty in the Atlantic.

The map went through a total of 11 states by 1794 and the early issues are quite rare. This is a very handsome example of the SECOND STATE, the last time a first state appeared on the market was the Siebert sale in 1999. This makes it practically the earliest available state of the map. The large and highly decorative title cartouche upper right includes native figures, a beaver, an alligator, a parrot and apes. The map includes upper left an inset entitled ‘A Particular Map of Baffin and Hudson’s Bay’ and lower left a large map after Father Kino of the Gulf of California who proved that California was not an island. In the west, an interesting notation on the ‘Missoury R.’ records ‘The French ascend the River Missouri this high’. Cumming, British Maps of Colonial America p. 60; Phillips, P.L. (Maps) p. 589; Pritchard & Taliaferro 36 p. 180 st. 7; Sellers & Van Ee (1981) no. 21; Stevens & Tree 49(b); Wheat (1957) no. 143; Worms & Baynton-Williams (2011).