1647 (undated)
1 : 3600000
Description
A seminal production, this is a fine first-edition, first-state example of Sir Robert Dudley s 1645 - 47 maritime map of the Gulf of Mexico, the first printed nautical chart of that region. It is also the first to be printed using Mercator s Projection - thus making it the first to be practical for actual navigation. Likewise it is also the first to accurately indicate prevailing winds and ocean currents in the Gulf. Coverage extends from the Pacific Coast of Mexico to eastern Florida, and from Galveston Bay (Texas) to modern day Belize and the Bay of Honduras), inclusive of the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba. The whole is stunningly engraved in Antonio Francesco Lucini s masterful Italian baroque hand, complete with fine calligraphy and idiosyncratic styling.