Napoleon Series Archive 2017

Original Antique Maps of the Napoleonic Wars

Due to health considerations I have started disposing of my various collections of books, medals & armentaria.
Generally the process is going well although, be warned for your own collections, one is fortunate if you can recover the original purchase price from the market.

I have also accumulated a small collection of linen-mounted ‘cased/campaign’ maps of the period.
As a collecting guide I used the descriptions in Chapter IV of Wellington’s Headquarters by the notable historian, PG Ward.
As such, I have examples of most of those mentioned by him : Thomas Jefferys, William Faden, Don Thomas Lopez, Jasper Nantiat, Comte de Ferraris, César-François Cassini, Pierre Giles Chanlaire & Edme Mentelle.
These are of particular interest :
Item : 33.73
Title : Mappa ou Carta Geographica dos Reinos de Portugale e Algarve
By : T. Jefferys
92x170 cm, 36 panels 23x19 cm, mounted on linen, hand coloured in outline. Notes in English & Portuguese. Border between Spain & Portugal and key fortresses clearly highlighted. Signed on reverse by Lt Gen Sir John Craddock (commanded in Portugal from 14 Dec 1808 until Wellesley returned on 22 April 1809).
Publisher : Wm. Faden, successor to the late T. Jefferys 1790

Item : 33.67
Title : A New Map of Spain and Portugal Exhibiting the Chains of Mountains with Their Passes the Principal and Cross Roads, with Other Details Requisite for the Intelligence of Military Operations.
By : Jasper Nantiat
161x115cm, divided into 4 sheets, each dissected into 15 sections, backed on to linen / cloth, and folding down into their original box with gilt-titled red leather spine, and marbled paper covered panels (15 x 21 x 4.5cm). Boundaries hand coloured. Each sheet has the original publishers index tab (NW, NE, SE, SW) with Faden's details printed to each. Map includes numerous scales, a table of distances and explanations. First edition.
Publisher : Wm. Faden, London 1810

Apart from those directly related to the Peninsular War, I have a few that cover the German States, the Austrian Empire, Denmark & south Sweden, Italy and Poland.
These are quite spectacular :
( Since I bought these from French dealers, I have left their catalogue descriptions in the original text. )
Item : 33.71
Title : Topographische Karte des Kriegsschauplatzes in Deutschland und Italien
By : Joseph Dirwald
4 grandes cartes (61x58cm) repliées au format in-8, avec une bordure extérieure, en feuilles entoilées, et libres (bur3). In contemporary marbled slip case with red leather edging and gold titling on red leather. Bel ensemble de 4 grandes feuilles destinées a être assemblées pour former une tableau topographique et militaire très précis des Etats allemands et des possessions autrichiennes. Les cartes peuvent se décrire comme suit, d'ouest en est, et de nord au sud : I quart nord-est, les pays depuis les Pays-Bas jusqu'au Schleswig, et des frontières de Danemark jusqu'à Trèves & Würzburg; II quart nord-est, Mecklenburg jusqu'à la Prusse Orientale, et des rives de la Baltique a la Bohème & Moravie; III quart sud-ouest, l'Allemagne du sud, la Confédération helvétique et la nord du Royaume d'Italie; IV quart sud-est, la Vénétie a l'extrémité du Royaume de Hongrie, et de la Bohème a l'Istrie.
Publisher : Tranquillo Mollo, Wien 1809

Item : 33.72
Title : Carte générale d'Allemagne, comprenant l'Empire d'Autriche, la Confédération du Rhin, le Dannemarck, la Prusse et la Pologne; une partie de la Suède, des Empires de France, de Russie at de Turquie, avec l'indication des principales routes de ces Etats et ..
By : Charles-Etienne Collin
Grand carte dépliante de 92x114cm, contours rehausses de couleurs, avec un cartouche supérieur droit représentant le plan de Saint-Pétersbourg, en feuilles, entoilées, dans double emboitage de papier bleu marbre, pièce de titre cerise (reliure de l'époque).
Publisher : Piquet, Paris 1813

There is also a complete (and including the annex) copy of the famous Wyld’s Atlas.
Item : 33.77
Title : Memoir annexed to an Atlas containing Plans of the principle Battles, Sieges and Affairs in which The British Troops were engaged during the war in The Spanish Peninsula and the South of France from 1808 to 1814
By : Thomas Livingston Mitchell
2 vols, 4to and folio.
ATLAS containing 5 engraved maps, 6 double-page engraved maps, 1 double-page plate of 5 views (2 of which are tinted), 23 coloured engraved battle-plans on 20 sheets, 17 double-page coloured battle-plans (3 of which are folding and 4 with coloured overlays) and 3 large coloured engraved battle-plans folded on 4 sheets.
MEMOIR xii, 205pp, plus Index & Errata. contemporary publisher's half red morocco gilt, a.e.g., marbled endpapers.
Extremely rare in complete condition. ( CD / DVD copy of map volume available )
Publisher : James Wyld, London 1840

In terms of market interest, they tend to fall between antiquarian book dealers and map dealers.
Should you be at all interested, I will be pleased to send you a complete description of all the items in my collection.

Messages In This Thread

Original Antique Maps of the Napoleonic Wars
Re: Original Antique Maps of the Napoleonic Wars
Re: Original Antique Maps of the Napoleonic Wars
Re: Original Antique Maps of the Napoleonic Wars