Clive A. Burden LTD. Rare Maps, Antique Atlases, Books and Decorative Prints

The Mapping of North America

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George Louis Le Rouge was a military engineer who took up cartography from about 1740. This work is a French edition of ‘An Actual Survey … of the Principal Roads’ by John Senex first published in London, 1719. This work consists of three parts all of which had been issued in earlier editions. Louis Charles Desnos (1725-1805) was a noted mapmaker, globe maker and publisher in Paris. Desnos was not the most successful of Parisian publishers, he went bankrupt in 1784. Despite being appointed globe maker to the King of Denmark he spent most of his life in Paris. He had a particular penchant for road books producing a number of France. The first part of this work consists of a general map of England and Wales in twelve sheets which is entitled ‘Partie Meridionale de la Grande Bretagne … a Londres Chez T. Jefferis … 1760’.

The second was first published in 1759 as ‘Les Routes D’Ogilby par l’Angleterre’ and comprises 101 plates of road strips preceded by an unaltered general map of England and Wales. Desnos was not known for his originality and here he just acquired the plates first issued by George Louis Le Rouge. Some minor alterations were made for instance in the first plate a note in French is added beneath. The engraved title page is reissued with alteration to the French title, it now reads ‘Itineraire De Toutes Les Routes De L’Angleterre …’ It ends by removing the name of Le Rouge ‘… Ouvrage traduit de l’Anglois. A Paris, Chez le Sr. Desnos … 1766’. The English title is unaltered with just the imprint changed to ‘For Desnos, Geographer, at the Globe St. James Street’. It is followed by the same presumably remaining preliminary leaves of text here rotated to enable viewing upright.

The third and final part is entitled ‘Recueil des Villes Ports D’Angleterre Tire des Grands Plans de Rocque et du Portuland de l’Angleterre du Sr. Belin’ and is a fine work containing a series of town plans and views. The first is a double page plan of London preceded by a Table or key to it. This third part was first issued under the same title in 1759 by Le Rouge. The beautiful arms featuring a large central peacock are those of Guillaume Gabriel Pavee of Vendeuvre (1779-1870), born in Troye, a French politician and peer who served on the National Assembly for many years. His library was only dispersed at auction about ten years ago. Provenance: bearing the large ornate gilt embossed arms on the covers of Guillaume Gabriel Pavee of Vendeuvre; private English collection. Carroll (1996) Appendix no. 8; Chubb (1927) 143; Fordham (1924) p. 27 (not recognising them as a later edition of the Le Rouge); Phillips (1909-) 2918; Shirley (2004) T.Desn 3a.
LE ROUGE, George Louis – DESNOS, Louis Charles

Nouvel Atlas d'Angleterre Divise En ses 52 Comtea Avec toutes les Routes Levees Topographiquement par ordre de S M Britannique et les Plans des Villes et Ports de ce Royaume

Paris, 1767-[66]
Quarto (290 x 215 mm.), large paper copy, full contemporary calf, with early nineteenth century addition to enable large central gilt coats of arms, with gilt ribs to the spine, each compartment extensively decorated with gilt floral design, red calf gilt title label. With attractive engraved title page, key map and twelve double page engraved maps all with full early wash colour, engraved title in French and English ‘Itineraraire de Toutes les Routes’, Introduction (2), Table des Villes (4), Table des Routes (2), small general map of England and Wales, 101 engraved road strips with blank versos. Followed by ‘Recueil des Villes Ports D’Angleterre’ dated 1766, double page engraved table to the plan of London, double page engraved plan of London, engraved map of the ‘Bouche de la Tamise’ and 16 engraved single page plans and views of British and Irish towns. Complete with contemporary endpapers. In very good condition.
Stock number: 9172

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