The FIRST STATE of five recorded by McLaughlin. A lovely dark impression of a very ornate map of the American continent. The main cartographic detail is the prominent California as an Island based on the Foxe model of 1635. Immediately above the island is the strait “Fretum Anian” with the coastline of “Terra Esonis incogn”. The Great Lakes are too far south and the Mississippi River is a little too far west. There is a considerable amount of inland detail and South America is a little out of proportion too. Numerous tracks of the major voyages of exploration are depicted in the Pacific. The whole is richly engraved by G. Rogg who signs himself below the lower cartouche. Both cartouche are in excellent detail and being a first state are rendered in a sharp impression. The large title cartouche depicts native Americans fishing, harvesting sugar cane and crops and paying tribute to a chief. One is climbing the rocks to hold aloft the title.

Matthaus Seutter (1678-c.1757) was an engraver, globe maker and map publisher in Augsburg where he was born and died. He was apprenticed to Johann Baptist Homann and his influences can be clearly seen in his work. Although he was Homann’s main competitor his work was not largely original. In 1731 he was though named Imperial Geographer to Karl VI. He married three times and had thirteen children! Only four of them joined the firm. His son-in-law Tobias Conrad Lotter continued the firm after his death. Leighly, J. 165; MCC 8 (Tooley) no.91,pl.36; McLaughlin, G. 211, state 1; Tooley Dictionary.