Buy this book on-line

Joseph Bouchette : To His Royal Highness George Augustus Frederick. Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, etc, etc, etc, and Prince Regent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland; This Topographical Map of the Province of Lower Canada, Shewing its division into Districts, Counties, Seigniories, & Townships, with all the Lands reserved both for the Crown & the Clergy, etc, etc

W. Faden, London, 1815

Black & White, In upper-left first sheet, upper and lower corners provided by manuscript. Likewise, top half of the inset map of the city of Quebec provided by manuscript. 5 remnant traces of old tape on the map, some marginal tears along the bottom of the cartouche., Size : 1410x3275 (mm), 55.51x128.94 (Inches)

The most important Canadian wall map.

This map is composed of 10 large single sheets printed separately and laid down on acid-free canvas for long-term preservation. Embellished with 5 five inset views and three large inset maps of Montreal, Quebec, and Trois Rivieres. Relief shown by hachures; depths by soundings. Shows buildings in cities.

Engraved by J. Walker and Sons.

Bouchette (1744-1841) was the Surveyor General of Lower Canada from 1804 to 1841, the year he died. Thomson (Men and Meridians, pp. 264-269) calls this production \"Bouchette\'s magnus opus\". David Rumsey states -- \"The large ten sheet map is extraordinary -- it is over ten feet long when joined and almost five feet tall. It has five views and tree large inset maps of Montreal, Quebec and Three Rivers. The detail and graphic elegance of the large map is the equal (or perhaps the superior) of any of the contemporary maps that I have seen\".

The atlas and the accompanying text was officially sponsored by the Canadian Legislature. On February 18, 1814, Bouchette presented before the House of Assembly his project to produce a large-scale map of Lower Canada accompanied by a topographical dictionary. The house decided to place ₤1,500 at Bouchette\'s disposal. A public subscription was also launched, the fee being five guineas payable on receipt of the map. The majority of the subscribers were English-speaking, a clear indication of the privileged links between Bouchette and his community. With the assurance of the assembly\'s backing, Bouchette left for England in August 1814 to arrange for the publication of his work. The monumental 10-sheet map of Lower Canada is in two parts -- the eastern part in 4 sheets with its own border and the western part in 6 sheets with its own border. They can be joined together to form a 10-sheet map with its own complete surrounding border.

Very rare in any condition -- Rumsey 4431, but it appears that the entire 10-sheet map in his copy is in facsimile. No copy in the British Library. Only the individual 2-sheet map of Upper & Lower Canada and the Plan of Gaspe complete at the Public Record Office (PRO), with just 4 sheets of the 10-sheet map of Lower Canada present and classified under a Quebec entry. The LOC has a copy of the 10-sheet map only and it is described as -- \"Some fragments from sheets encapsulated in plastic envelopes ....... imperfect: Brittle; and, some pieces missing on edges and center of some sheets\". National Archives of Canada appear to have only the 10-sheet map (described as on 12 sheets). Not at Harvard, Yale, NYPL, or Newberry., Holmden 581 & 2934; Winearls 50; Sabin 6849; Farrell 157-8; TMC 36:15; Thomson 264-269; Boudreau; Not in Phillips

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.