Lot 121: The rare first state of Speed's 1626 map of the Americas

[MAP - AMERICAS]

SPEED, JOHN. America with those known parts in the unknowne world… [London:] G. Humble, 1626 [published 1627, state 1 per Burden]. Hand-colored engraved map on laid paper, with a watermark of a cluster of grapes, engraved by Abraham Goos of Amsterdam, English text on verso, 15 1/4 x 20 1/4 inches (39 x 51 cm). Browned and brittle, a few wormholes in margin away from image, short split to fold tips, a few old tape remnants on verso.

This is the rare first state of John Speed's 1626 map of the Americas. Per Burden, Boston and Long Island are not depicted, and Humble's imprint is at lower left. The map was engraved in Amsterdam by Abraham Goos, who had spent time in London. While the map depicts many places of English interest, most of the detail is provided in South America, Mexico and the Caribbean, and California is presented as a large island. The map features ten depictions of indigenous people, including those of Virginia and Florida, and eight city views line the top border. The first state of this map is rare–most frequently encountered is the 1676 edition by Bassett and Chiswell. Burden 217