Engraved map on 4 joined sheets of the Americas, with hand-coloring in outline and wash, visible area 820 x 1430 mm, matted and framed (unexamined out of frame), manuscript pagination upper right. Spanish and Dutch navigation routes delineated, over 34 insets and vignettes of scenes and regions of the New World, portrait medallions of explorers, including Columbus, Dampier, Drake, Vespucci and Magellan.

"ONE OF THE MOST DECORATIVE MAPS OF NORTH AMERICA OF THE 18TH CENTURY" (Tooley)

Chatelain's map, published in his Atlas Historique of 1719, was intended to encourage French investment in the Americas. Though the map depicts California as an island, a notation indicates that many Europeans believe it to be connected to the mainland. "One of the most elaborately engraved maps of the Western Hemisphere ever produced" (Schwartz & Ehrenberg).  McLaughlin 190; Schwarz & Ehrenberg 85; Tooley p.130.