DE L'ISLE, Guillaume (1675-1726) & Phillippe Buache (1700-1773). Carte de L'Isle de la Martinique Colonie Françoise de l'une des Isles Antilles de l'Amerique Dressée sur des Plans manuscrits entr' autres sur celui de Mr. Mouel Ingenieur du Roy Assujetis à des Observations Astronomiques et conciliés avec des memoires particuliers de feu Mr Guill. Delisle Premier Geographe de S. Majesté.... Amsterdam: Covens and Mortier, c. 1757. Engraved with early outline colour. Printed on laid paper. In perfect condition. Sheet size: 21 7/16 x 26 inches. Image size: 18 1/8 x 23 1/8 inches.

A handsome 18th-century topographical map of Martinique.

This highly detailed map of Martinique delineates the hilly terrain, forests, roads, houses, and even the sugar plantations. The island was to the French what Barbados and Jamaica were to the English: immensely profitable sites for sugar production.

Guillaume de l'Isle (1675-1726) was the son of a cartographer and a pupil of Jean Dominique Cassini, who, among other important contributions, aligned the study of astronomy to the study of geography. Under Cassini's direction, observations were made from locations all over the world that enabled longitudinal calculations to be made with much greater accuracy. De l'Isle carried on this exacting work with remarkable dedication and integrity, constantly revising and improving his maps. While precision was his primary goal, his maps are invariably elegant and attractive.

Jean (Johannes) Covens and Corneille (Cornelius) Mortier were brothers-in-law, who carried on the book publishing business established by Pierre Mortier in Amsterdam in 1685. Pierre Mortier's company owed much of its success to his access to French publishers, whose publications he re-issued in handsome editions.The elder Mortier died in 1711; his wife continued the firm until she died in 1719. In 1721, Covens and Mortier formed a partnership, Covens having married Agatha Mortier in the same year. They continued the business by publishing enlarged editions of Sanson, Jaillot, and De L'Isle, as well as some of the later Dutch cartographical masters such as De Wit and Allard, and of course Pierre Mortier.

Koeman, C & M 8 #118.