1797 Cassini Map of the Eastern Coast of the United States
EasternUSA2-cassini-1797$950.00
Title
Gli Stati Uniti dell' America delineati sulle ultime Osservazioni, Quarto foglio che comprende parte della Nuova Inghilterra, la Nuova York, il Nuovo Yersey, la Pensilvania, il Delaware, il Maryland, e porzioni della Virginia, e della Carolina.
1797 (dated) 15 x 20 in (38.1 x 50.8 cm) 1 : 3400000
1797 (dated) 15 x 20 in (38.1 x 50.8 cm) 1 : 3400000
Description
An example of Giovanni Cassini's stunning 1797 map of the Eastern seaboard of the United States. Coverage embraces Massachusetts to Cape Lookout and inland as far as Lake Erie and western Maryland. Some of the banks and shoals of Cape Cod and Nantucket are noted.
Contested Wyoming Valley
Of interest is Cassini's support for Pennsylvania's claims to the Upper Wyoming Valley. This area was hotly contested between Pennsylvania and Connecticut from about 1769, resulting in a series of conflicts known as the Yankee-Pennamite Wars (1769 - 1784). The issue was not resolved until after the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783) when the 1799 Continental Congress decided in favor of Pennsylvania.Publication History and Census
Cartographically, Cassini derived this map from the 1778 Zatta 12-sheet revision and expansion of John Mitchell's seminal 1755 map of the eastern part of North America. Cassini published 6 maps of United States regions based upon Zatta's work, of which this is map no. 4. This work was published in Cassini's 1797 Nuovo Atlante Geografico Universale. Today, all maps from this series are highly sought after for their exceptional beauty and fine engraving.Cartographer
Giovanni Maria Cassini (1745 - 1824) was a Rome based Italian mathematician, globe maker, geographer, engraver, and cartographer active in the later part of the 18th and early 19th century. He was a disciple of Giovanni Battista Piranesi. He invented new form of projection used for an atlas of the kingdom of Naples issued by Giovanni Antonio Rizzi Zannoni. Cassini is best known as a globe maker and is considered the last of the great 18th century globe makers. His maps are distinctive for their fine engraving, dark strong impressions, and elaborate distinctive cartouche work. Unlike many map and atlas publishers of the period, Cassini did all of his own engraving work - this impregnating each map with his unmistakable style. Though he produced a significant corpus of well-regarded work, little is known of Cassini's personal life. G. M. Cassini is often mistakenly associated with the well-known French cartographic family of the same name, however, they are not related. More by this mapmaker...
Source
Cassini, G. M., Nuovo Atlante Geografico Universale, (Roma : Presso la Calcografia Camerale) 1797.
Condition
Good. Toning along centerfold. Light soiling.
References
OCLC 944184977. McCorkle, B. B, New England in Early Printed Maps 1513 - 1800, 797.3.