Moll, Herman "A General and Particular Description of America"

Herman Moll. "A General and Particular Description of America".

From The Compleat Geographer. London: A. & J. Church, ca. 1700. 6 3/4 x 7 1/2. Engraving by H. Moll. Water stains and soiling in margins at top and slightly into image at right; worm holes at bottom right. Full sheet lined with archival tissue. Else, good condition. McLaughlin 173.

Herman Moll was a Dutch émigré to England sometime after 1680, and he soon established his own business in London. Moll became England's most prominent map publisher and engraver, his prolific output covered a wide range from loose maps to atlases. This charming map of North & South America depicts one of the most interesting curiosities of cartographic history, California shown as an island. This cartographic myth first appeared in 1622 and disappeared only after Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand VI, stated, in a royal decree of 1747, "California is not an island." Also of interest are the mythical depictions of Manoa (El Dorado) and the "Land of Jesso." Much of the northwest of America is uncharted, and an early depiction of "New Zeeland" is also included. This map shows the prime meridian running through the Canary Islands rather than using a European city as was often the case. An excellent early map, and fine document of the period.