A rare Catalogue of maps and atlases available for sale after the cartographer Nicolas de Fer (1646-1720). He was first apprenticed to Nicolas Spirinx, the engraver, at the age of twelve. His first known published work was of the Languedoc Canal in 1669. From 1690 he began publishing his own books such as Les Forces de l’Europe, and the Petit et Nouveau Atlas in 1697. His first wall map, in 1694, was naturally of the world, and this was followed by a set of four continents of which the most famous is his wall map of America first published in 1698. It is most noted for introducing to the world of cartography its beaver scene. Following the death of de Fer in 1720 the business was continued by his sons-in-law Guillaume Danet and Jacques-François Bénard.

This Catalogue of wares available for sale bears the imprint Benard and is dated 1722 just two years after de Fer’s death. It is broken down into sections of ‘Grand Cartes de Plusieurs Feuilles’ (large multi-sheet maps), ‘Livres’ (books), ‘Cartes d’une Feuilles’ (single-sheet maps), ‘Plans des Villes Considerables’ (town plans) and ‘Les Jeux’ (games). Of particular interest is the list of multi-sheet maps many of which were separately published. These broadside sheets were issued for distribution and as such have an appalling survival rate unless as is likely here it was pasted inside an atlas at some time. Pastoureau (1984) pp. 167-9.