Carte Marine de l'Afrique Meridionale

Map published in" Nouvel Atlas de Marine. Composé d’une Carte Generale, et de XII Cartes Particulieres, qui Representent Le Globe Terrestre…" by Isaac Brouckner (Bruckner), the first Prussian Maritime Atlas, published first time in 1749.

Drawn up by order of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin and dedicated to its director, Samuel Count von Schmettau . 1 world map & 12 charts – all in Mercator projection – engraved by Nicolaus Frdr. Sauerbrey (map engraver and engraver of arms in Berlin, d. about 1771), with explanation & exercise for the use of the charts in all four languages : German , English , French, and Dutch.


For the preparation of the atlas Brouckner could fall back upon all recent sources available at the Berlin Academy of Sciences and used these indeed – so Phillips – to the greatest benefit of the atlas:


“ … prepared … by order of field-marshall count Samuel von Schmettau, who did so much in Prussia to raise the level of the scientific undertakings, not only theoretical but practical, of the Berlin Royal academy of sciences during the eighteenth century. In order that this atlas might be as complete as possible, Count von Schmettau placed at Brouckner’s disposal all the sheets and memoirs that were available,
which were dealt with in a masterly way by the geographer, with the result that a most creditable marine atlas for the time was prepared, which certainly deserves to be designated as the first Prussian marine atlas . ”

“A little-known Dutch edition of Isaac Brouckner’s Nouvel atlas de marine, first published in 1749, Berlin, was also added by purchase” (Imago Mundi IX [1952], 116) – , its charts still carry, irrespective of the typographical Dutch text dated 1759, the unchanged year 1749 of present first edition.

This Africa's map is the plate 9 of the atlas.

Copper engraving, added the lower right corner, otherwise in perfect condition.