Carte Des Isles Philippines 1re Feuille

Paris: Bellin, 1752. Map. Engraving with hand coloring. Image measures 8 1/2" x 6 1/4"<br/> <br/> This map of the northern Philippines depicts Luzon, including the Batanes and Babuyanes, Mindoro, Marinduque, Catanduanes, Masbate, and the northeastern part of Samar, as well as many surrounding islets. A lovely Baroque cartouche adorns the map. As noted in the title, this map was made after a seminal 1734 map by the Spanish Jesuit missionary and cartographer, Pedro Murillo de Velarde. Mountains are rendered pictorially, and cities, towns, islands, and coastal features are labeled. From "Le Petit Atlas Maritime: Recueil de cartes et plans des quatre parties du monde en cinq volumes, Vol. III", published in 1752. Hard to find.<br> <br> Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703-1772) was the official hydrographer to the French king and the first person to hold the title of "Inginieur de la Marine of the Depot des cartes et plans de la Marine" (chief engineer of the French Hydrographical Office). He was particularly well-known for his maps of the French Empire. This map is a fine example of his detailed work.<br/> <br/>