Gilles Robert de Vaugondy*; 1688-1766.
Didier Robert de Vaugondy, son; c1723-1786.
Charles François Delamarche, successor; 1740-1817.
Vaugondy, related to the Sanson family, inherited a wealth
of cartographic materials in 1730 at Pierre Moulard Sanson's
passing away. He had also acquired most of the plates and
maps of Hubert Alexis Jaillot upon his death in 1712.
With ample revisions, corrections and additions, this was
the basis for his major work: "Atlas Universel" first printed
in 1757, and later reissued in 1783 and 1793.
Worth mentioning is also the "Atlas portatif" in 1748-1749.
His son produced in 1761 the famous "Part de l'Amérique septentrionale",
and later a "Nouvel atlas portatif".
Delamarche, corrected and revised as necessary to continue
publish quite a few of these works (e.g.: "Nouvel atlas portatif"
of 1806); often giving prominent credit to his source (which
may be misleading in some cases).
* Gilles is often marking his maps: Le Sieur, or: Monsieur
Robert.
Gallia antiqua in provincias et populos divisa,...
This large map (21 ½" X 19") of the roman time Gauls (Gallia)
was originally designed in 1750.
It might have been printed then as an isolated item, and it
is known to have been incorporated in the 1757 first edition
of "Atlas Universel".
The present item is an ulterior state printed by Delamarche
for the 1793 edition of the same work.
As can be seen in the cartouche, mention of Robert being the
ordinary geographer to the king has been erased (blank lines
at the bottom of the text) since Louis XVI had been executed
earlier in the year, together with his wife Marie-Antoinette,
and the republic had been proclaimed.
The overall delineation is extremely accurate, and the research
on the different colonial roman province organization is very
scholarly (17 provinces: Germania (2), Belgica (2), Lugdunensis
(4), Aquitania (2), Narbonensis (2), Novem Populania, Viennensis,
Maxima Sequanorum, Alpes (2)).
Notice how the Gauls territory encompassed not only France,
but also significant portions of Belgium, Luxemburg, Holland,
Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
No text on verso.
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