1755 Partie Occidentale de la Nouvelle France ou du Canada...
the Vintage Map Shop
Regular price $40.00
Unit price per
By: Jacques Nicolas Bellin / Homann Heirs
Date of Original: 1755 (dated) Nuremberg
Original Size: 17.5 x 22 inches (44.5 x 56 cm)
This is a fine print reproduction of an exceptional and influential mid-18th-century map of the Great Lakes region, engraved at a time when French knowledge of the interior of North America was shaped by exploration, fur trading, and missionary networks rather than formal colonial governance. Originally engraved by Jacques Bellin in 1745, the map was later reissued by Johann Baptist Homann in 1755 after he acquired the copperplate, responding to heightened European interest following the outbreak of the French and Indian War the previous year.
The cartography draws heavily on firsthand French sources, particularly the journals of fur trader and explorer Sieur de la Vérendrye and the writings of explorer-missionary Father Pierre de Charlevoix. Vérendrye’s accounts informed the placement of numerous Indigenous nations and villages, along with elements of the Great Lakes and their interconnected river systems. Charlevoix’s influence appears most clearly in the inclusion of the fictitious Lake Superior islands of Philippeaux, Pontchartrain, and St. Anne, among the earliest appearances of the so-called “ghost islands” that would persist on maps and confound explorers for nearly a century.
Throughout the map, French forts and missions are prominently identified, including Fort Frontenac, Fort Niagara, Mission François Xavier, and Port de Chécagou, located at the site of present-day Chicago. These sites illustrate the extent of French commercial and religious activity across the region and underscore the importance of waterways in facilitating movement and exchange.
In the lower right portion of the map, a subtle political message is conveyed through cartographic distortion. English colonial holdings in New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania are deliberately reduced in scale, a common visual tactic intended to flatter royal patrons in Paris and to assert, at least symbolically, the perceived reach and influence of French interests in North America.
Inventory #19325
About Our Prints
Our prints are fine art reproductions created from original antique maps and vintage posters in our collection, dating back to over 500 years. Each image is professionally scanned, in some cases digitally restored, and carefully printed to preserve the detail, tone, and character of the original work.
- Printed from original maps and prints in our collection
- High-resolution scans for exceptional clarity and detail
- Produced on premium archival paper for long-lasting quality
- Rich color and sharp definition suitable for framing
- Includes a 0.25 inch margin for trimming or matting
- Made to order and securely packaged for safe delivery
Returns and Exchanges
Our prints are made to order, so returns and exchanges are handled within a simple 14-day window. If you need to return or exchange a print, we ask that it be sent back in its original, undamaged condition.
- Returns accepted within 14 days of delivery
- 25% restocking fee on non-damaged returns
- Buyer pays return shipping
- Refunds issued to the original payment method
- Size exchanges available, with shipping and applicable fees paid by the buyer