This is Thomas Kitchin’s three-sheet map engraved for Malachy Postlethwayt (1707-67). It accompanied his two volume ‘Universal Dictionary of Trade and Commerce’. Postlethwayt devoted 20 years to the preparation of this work, a translation with large additions from the original French by Jacques Savary des Bruslons. The maps were derived from those of Jean Baptiste Bourguignon D’Anville (1697-1782) including this one from 1748. It is virtually identical with the notable exception of York Isle added off the southwest coast. The map bears a legend stating that Captain Bartholomew Sharp went ashore in October 1681. The island is in fact much closer to shore.

The D’Anville map is the subject of a book entitled “The Map That Shaped Brazil in the 18th Century” by Junia Ferreira Furtado. He argues that it was d’Anville, a highly respected cartographer, who reflected the geopolitical desires of Portugal under the auspices of Don Luis da Cunha who was the diplomat in charge of negotiating with the Spanish to formally agree Brazil’s borders.

In the mid-eighteenth century both Spain and Portugal sent mapping expeditions to establish the boundary between Portuguese Brazil and Spanish South America. Negotiations commenced in 1746 and D’Anville’s map represented the Portuguese position. Furtado states that the though the map was a fundamental key it was not actually used in the negotiations. The nearly 10,000-mile border was defined in the Treaty of Madrid signed in 1750. It also considered several indigenous peoples and was particularly concerned with the southern borders with present day Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

This map is one of the most detailed of South America to appear to date. It was engraved by Thomas Kitchin (1718-84). Jean Baptiste Bourguignon D’Anville (1697-1782) is said to have produced his first map at the age 15. He was a thorough editor of his maps, as Tooley stated ‘He dominated not only French but all contemporary geographers [and] his aim was reform, the rejection of plagiarism, critical examination of authorities, a basis of astronomical observation and the deletion of unverified material’. He would often leave unknown areas blank and would reference doubtful knowledge. He produced more than 200 printed maps during his lifetime. His maps were recognised as one of the more reliable sources for cartographic information. Provenance: Jonathan Potter 2002; Juan and Peggy Rada Collection. Furtado (2013); Furtado (2024); Kress (1964) 5157; Sabin (1868-1936) 77276; Shirley (2004) G.Post 1a nos. 9-11; Tooley’s Dictionary (1999-2004).