Thursday, July 28, 2016

Press Release


COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE
14e Salon de la Carte Géographique Ancienne & du Livre de Voyage

Paris Map-Fair & Travel Books

Today I came across the above press release for the Paris Map & Travel Books Fair that was held last November. I wish I could have attended. But lack of a budget for that or a time machine to go 8 or 9 months into the past prevents my attendance. 
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Fortunately the press release included copies of several very fine maps, including two 17th century maps of Paris that I had not previously seen. Both maps have quite a bit of detail. 
 
The description of the map shown above lists 3 dates: 1620, 1635, and 1655. I can't quite translate the description to figure out year the map is supposed to represent. The inclusion of a bridge next to the Louvre that looks like the wooden Ponte Rouge bridge that was built in 1632. That would date it post 1620. So my best guess for now is 1635. which puts it almost as close in time to 1624 as the 1615 map by Matthäus Merian the Elder and the very similar 1618 map by Claes Janszoon Visscher. 
 
Anyone with better translation skills and/or specialist knowledge about 17th century engraving and cartography is more than welcome to relieve my ignorance regarding this map or 17th century maps more generally..




http://www.map-fair.com/Lgimg/63641.jpg


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