Maps and Atlases: Five Rare Maps for Collectors

Highlights of Swann Galleries' Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books auction on December 9 include:

* Oceani Ocidentalis seu Terre Nove Tabula

Hand-colored double-page woodcut map of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, and southeast North America (Lyon, 1535). One of the earliest obtainable maps of the New World. Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000.

* Carte de la Nouvelle France... by Gerard van Keulen
 
Large engraved map of eastern North America (Amsterdam, 1720) detailing early 18th century French interests in the region, insets of the Mississippi River delta and the Louisiana/Florida coastline. Estimate: $7,000 - $10,000.

* Plan de la Ville et du Port de Boston Capitale de la Nouvelle Angleterre by Jacques Nicolas Bellin and Jean Lattré

Double-page engraved map of Boston's original Shawmut Peninsula detailing its streets, wharves, fortifications, religious and public buildings, and landmarks including the Common, Beacon Hill, and Faneuil Hall Paris (1760s-1770s). The plan is noteworthy for its overview of the city's layout and strategic military defenses at a time just prior to the American Revolution. Estimate: $15,000 - $20,000.