Plan du Port de Tripoli de Barbarie
| Reference: | MS6680 |
| Author | Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine |
| Year: | 1823 |
| Zone: | Tripoli |
| Printed: | Paris |
| Measures: | 580 x 410 mm |
| Reference: | MS6680 |
| Author | Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine |
| Year: | 1823 |
| Zone: | Tripoli |
| Printed: | Paris |
| Measures: | 580 x 410 mm |
Description
To fight against the powerful English fleet, king Louis XIV decided to endow his ships with nautical charts that could enable them to compete with the enemy. The Neptune Francais, in 1693, can be considered a first attempt, but it was only at the beginning of the Eighteenth century that a campaign of study of the Mediterranean coasts and sea was started, leading to the realization of maps, collected in the Dépot des Cartes et Planes de la Marine in 1720.
Nevertheless, the real founder of French hydrography can be considered Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772), who served for more than fifty years the navy as engineer and cartographer, which win him first the title of "Hydrographer Engineer of the Navy" and then of "Royal Hydrographer". His first commitment was to study the French coasts fisrt, and then of the whole world. His production was massive and his nautical charts, due also to their quality, were published in many edition until the end of the XVIII century.
This allowance led to the production and the selling of sea charts, at first based on those from Bellin, then developed by other navy engineers. The sea charts were sold separately, all bearing the stamp with the anchor and the crowns of the Depot Generale de la Marine. Collections of the same charts have been published under the name of Neptune Francois, a monumental work which has been reissued many times until the half of the following century.
The following group of charts is taken from a volume entitled Neptune de la Méditerranée, about the Mediterranean sea. Where possible, there is the name of the cartographer, very often the captain of the ship, and the date of the chart.
Engravings, in excellent condition.
Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine
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The Dépôt de la Marine, known more formally as the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine, was the central charting institution of France. The centralization of hydrography in France began in earnest when Jean-Baptiste Colbert became First Minister of France in 1661. Under his watch, the first Royal School of Hydrography began operating, as did the first survey of France’s coasts (1670-1689). In 1680, Colbert consolidated various collections of charts and memoirs into a single assemblage, forming the core of sources for what would become the Dépôt.
The Dépôt itself began as the central deposit of charts for the French Navy. In 1720, the Navy consolidated its collection with those government materials covering the colonies, creating a single large repository of navigation. By 1737, the Dépôt was creating its own original charts and, from 1750, they participated in scientific expeditions to determine the accurate calculation of longitude.
In 1773, the Dépôt received a monopoly over the composition, production, and distribution of navigational materials, solidifying their place as the main producer of geographic knowledge in France. Dépôt-approved charts were distributed to official warehouses in port cities and sold by authorized merchants. The charts were of the highest quality, as many of France’s premier mapmakers worked at the Dépôt in the eighteenth century, including Philippe Bauche, Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, Rigobert Bonne, Jean Nicolas Buache, and Charles-François Beautemps-Beaupré.
The Dépôt continued to operate until 1886, when it became the Naval Hydrographic Service. In 1971, it changed names again, this time to the Naval and Oceanographic Service (SHOM). Although its name has changed, its purpose is largely the same, to provide high quality cartographic and scientific information to the France’s Navy and merchant marine.
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Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine
|
The Dépôt de la Marine, known more formally as the Dépôt des cartes et plans de la Marine, was the central charting institution of France. The centralization of hydrography in France began in earnest when Jean-Baptiste Colbert became First Minister of France in 1661. Under his watch, the first Royal School of Hydrography began operating, as did the first survey of France’s coasts (1670-1689). In 1680, Colbert consolidated various collections of charts and memoirs into a single assemblage, forming the core of sources for what would become the Dépôt.
The Dépôt itself began as the central deposit of charts for the French Navy. In 1720, the Navy consolidated its collection with those government materials covering the colonies, creating a single large repository of navigation. By 1737, the Dépôt was creating its own original charts and, from 1750, they participated in scientific expeditions to determine the accurate calculation of longitude.
In 1773, the Dépôt received a monopoly over the composition, production, and distribution of navigational materials, solidifying their place as the main producer of geographic knowledge in France. Dépôt-approved charts were distributed to official warehouses in port cities and sold by authorized merchants. The charts were of the highest quality, as many of France’s premier mapmakers worked at the Dépôt in the eighteenth century, including Philippe Bauche, Jacques-Nicolas Bellin, Rigobert Bonne, Jean Nicolas Buache, and Charles-François Beautemps-Beaupré.
The Dépôt continued to operate until 1886, when it became the Naval Hydrographic Service. In 1971, it changed names again, this time to the Naval and Oceanographic Service (SHOM). Although its name has changed, its purpose is largely the same, to provide high quality cartographic and scientific information to the France’s Navy and merchant marine.
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