When French sailors prepared the map of Canada

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

The document that I present today is interesting and important, but it is not unique, since it is an engraving printed and published in Paris in 1612. Its title, inscribed in full length at the top of the sheet, is in former French: "Carte geographique de la Nouvelle Franse faictte par le sieur Champlain Saint Tongois cappitaine ordinaire pour le Roy en la marine"

On an area of 440 x 765mm, this map summarizes ten years of observations by Samuel de Champlain. This captain from Brouage in Saintonge was sent by the king of France to America to discover and colonize that "Nouvelle France" which was to become Canada, and he was the first to correctly describe the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. According to the habits of the time the map is decorated with some figures, including four Indians in a cartouche.

The sale of the lot by Sotheby's has just been confirmed for November 13 in London, lot 196, estimated 30 K£. The Canadian press had moved a few days ago of the possibility that it was the copy stolen from Harvard University in Boston in 2005, but it has been shown that this is not the case. This anecdote which had a happy end reminds us once again the very difficult work of traceability that the auction houses have to do each time a client brings them an item for sale.

Do not look at Brouage on a French map: invaded by sand, this harbour has ceased to be used in the eighteenth century, for the benefit of Rochefort.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

This result will refer in the history of map auction sales: nearly 160 K£ costs included, 157 250 £ exactly. It must be said that the preparation of the sale had been well publicized. Congratulations to Sotheby's.