1740 Bowen Map of the British Empire in Europe and the Americas

Highlights British possessions in the Atlantic World.

This is a c. 1740 pre-French and Indian War Emmanuel Bowen map of the British Empire in Europe, Africa, and the Americas, or what historians refer to as the Atlantic World. Beautifully engraved and highly informative, the map centers on the Atlantic Ocean, with the Americas on the left and Europe and Africa on the right. Yellow outlining is used to identify which parts of the world 'are now possessed by the King of Great Britain', including the American colonies that became the United States, numerous islands in the Caribbean, and a pair of duchies in modern-day Germany. Areas outlined in green were formerly controlled by the British crown. Colonies, settlements, islands, or countries, are identified throughout, several which are underlined, identifying it as a possession of the Great Britain. These include Gibraltar, Charles Town (Charleston, South Carolina), and Acra (Accra, Ghana), etc. Information concerning the map and the Empire is situated in the corners, including an explanation of how to read the map and details related to British possessions in Asia.

Publication History

There is no definitive publication date. One source dates its publication at 1740, while another suggests 1752, and yet another puts forward a range from 1759-1763. One thing is certain, this map cannot postdate 1763 due to its depiction of Britain's American colonies. This depiction predates the 1763 Treaty of Paris which ended the French and Indian War. Under the terms of the treaty, France ceded the eastern portion of the Louisiana Territory (from the Mississippi River to the Appalachian Mountains) in this treaty, and here British possessions in North America end abruptly at the Appalachian Mountains.

Cartographer

Emanuel Bowen (1694 - May 8, 1767) was a Welsh cartographer, map engraver, and publisher active in London during the first half and middle of the 18th century. Born at Talley, Carmarthenshire, he was apprenticed in 1709 to the London engraver and globe-maker Charles Price, beginning a career that combined the compilation of geographical information with copperplate engraving for booksellers and map publishers. His early work included maps for an Atlas of the World issued in 1717, followed by Britannia Depicta; or, Ogilby Improv'd (1720), prepared with John Owen, which brought together reduced road-strip maps, county maps, and historical and heraldic information in a portable volume. In 1729, Bowen published a subscription-funded map of South Wales, substantially improving the region's cartographic representation; the map's geographical information subsequently informed his Welsh county maps. After working at several London addresses, he established workshops in Aldersgate, Smithfield, and Clerkenwell, producing maps extensively for other publishers rather than relying on a prominent retail shop. His international cartography included maps for A Complete System of Geography (1744 - 1747), the 1744-48 edition of Navigantium atque itinerantium bibliotheca, and A Complete Atlas (1752). He became geographer to George II around 1747. Among his apprentices were Thomas Kitchin (1719 - 1784), who married Bowen's daughter Sarah in 1739, and Thomas Jefferys (1719 - 1771), apprenticed in 1735. With Kitchin, Bowen produced the county maps issued between 1749 and 1760 that formed The Large English Atlas; their collaboration continued in The Royal English Atlas around 1763. His maps characteristically combined detailed geographical engraving and ornamental cartouches with extensive historical, economic, and topographical annotations. Despite his substantial output and royal appointment, Bowen died in reduced circumstances in 1767. His son and fellow engraver, Thomas Bowen (d. 1790), continued his cartographic work, including Atlas Anglicanus (1767 - 1768), which was completed and issued after Emanuel's death.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Even overall toning. Light soiling. Some transference. Close top margin. Blank on verso.