Copper engraving handcolored with watercolor.

Outline color.

Printed in center of top: "Carte De Normandie ou sont marquez éxactemet Les Pays ou Contrées enferm ées dascette Province aussi bien que les Villes, Bourgs, Paroisses et autres lieux Par Guillaume Del Isle de l'Academie Royale des Sciences A Paris Chez l'Auteur Sur le Quay de l'Horologe avec Privilége du Roy Décembre MDCCXVI."

Printed in upper left is a key explaining symbols used in map for villages, burgs, parishes, devotional chapels, abbeys for men and for women of the Order of St. Benedict, monastic abbeys of the Order of Charity, monastic abbeys of the order of St. Augustine, monastic abbeys of the Premontre Order, priories, counties, land owned by a marquis, baronies, grand roads and ancient Roman roads.

Printed in upper left corner next to key is a scale comparing common French leagues and French marine leagues.

Printed to the right of title is a description of how Episcopal villages are distinguished from other villages in this map with a cross: "Avertisement. Dans cette Carte les Villes Episcopales sont distinguées des autres par une Croix de cette maniere et les limites de chaque Diocese sont marquées par des points longs de cette maniere---pour les distinguer des limites des contrées ou Pays qui sont marquées ainsi…..."

Written in ink in upper right corner: "No. 7."

Depicts Normandy divided into several regions including "Couteantin, "Avranchin," "Bocage," "Houlme," "Campagne de Caen," "Le Pays Dauge," "Lieuvin Louche," "Campagne D'Alencon," "Romois," "Campagne De Neubourg, " "Campagne De Sandre," "Vexin Normand," and "Pays De Caux." Shows the Seine River and the English Channel to the north. Includes a compass rose above Bocage in the English Channel.

Guillaume de L'Isle (1675-1726) was a cartographer and the Premier Geographer to the King in France beginning in 1718. His family played a significant part in the world of French cartography in the eighteenth century. At age 9, he drew his first map and at age 27 he became a member of the Académie Royale des Sciences. He studied under Jacques Cassini, acquiring knowledge in both mathematics and astronomy. Due to his academic background and his "critical approach to the maps of his predecessors," he became known as the first "scientific cartographer" (Moreland and Bannister, 132). Among his works are "Globe, map of the world and the four continents" (1700), "Atlas de Géographie" (1700-12), "Mississippi" (1701), "Carte du Mexique et de la Floride…" (c.a. 1703), "Carte de la Louisiane et du Mississippi" (1718) and posthumously, "Atlas Noveau" (1730 and later). Following his death, his widow took up the business with a partner, Philippe Buache (Tooley 395; Moreland and Bannister, 131-2). This particular map was most likely published and removed from a copy of De L'Isle's "Atlas de Geographie." Source(s): David Rumsey Cartography Associates. "David Rumsey Collection: Carte de Normandie ou sont marquez exactement Les Pays ou Contrees enf." Accessed 20 Mar 2009. Moreland, Carl and David Bannister. "Antique Maps: A Collector's Handbook." New York: Longman Group, Ltd., 1983. Tooley, Ronald Vere. "Tooley's Dictionary of Mapmakers." Hertfordshire: Map Collector Publications Limited, 1979. University of Michigan Library. Catalog Record. Accessed 20 Mar 2009.

• Subjects (LCSH): Normandy-Maps-Early works to 1800.