Dec 08, 2011 - Sale 2264

Sale 2264 - Lot 130

Price Realized: $ 5,280
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 6,000 - $ 9,000
LEA, PHILIP. A New Map of New England - New York - New Jarsay - Pensilvania - Maryland and Virginia. By Philip Lea. Engraved map, 450x540 mm sheet size, margins trimmed just outside the neatlines on top and bottom, trimmed to the neatlines on the sides; hand-colored in outline; numerous creases and possible tears relieved at an early date by being paper-backed, two very small areas of loss along a fold in the ocean off of New Jersey. London, circa 1715-20
Set Alert for Similar Items

Additional Details

Stevens and Tree identify 4 states of the map, based on imprint changes and the addition of place names (see #35). The present example appears to be an intermediate state between the third and fourth states, or an unidentified state appearing after the fourth state.
The county names in New Jersey which are found in the third and fourth states are present, as are the 3 county names in Pennsylvania. "In Cheap-side London" found on the third state is lacking on this copy making it indicative of the fourth state. However, the additional imprint found at the bottom of the map beneath the mile scale is different from both the third and fourth states as reported by Stevens and Tree. On this copy the imprint box is blank. Either the imprint for the fourth state had not yet been added to the plate, or the imprint had been added and then removed after the printing of the fourth state in preparation for a planned for but unexecuted fifth state.
Dating the map becomes difficult. Either it was printed between circa 1690 and circa 1715-20 (dates suggested by Stevens and Tree for the third and fourth states), or it was printed after the fourth state, in which case it is probably later than 1720.
The map has been examined under extremely high magnification to assure that intentional surface abrading is not responsible for the lack of imprints in both the title line and the imprint box. There is no such disruption.