George Collot, 1804

Details

Journey in North America
George Collot, 1804
COLLOT, George H. Victor (1751?-1805). Voyage dans l'Amérique septentrionale, ou description des pays arrosés par le Mississipi, l'Ohio, le Missouri.... Paris: Arthus Bertrand, 1826 (actually printed in 1804).

A magnificent rarity: some of the most famous and beautiful views of the early Midwest ever made. "In 1796 Collot was sent by the French government to make a general reconnaissance of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, both to gauge the military situation on the frontier and to gather a view of the strength of secessionist sentiment among the American frontiersmen. His mission was undertaken during a period of great tension between the weak Spanish government in Louisiana and the rapidly expanding power of the United States in the West. Collot performed his mission admirably, creating a wealth of maps and views as well as soundings of the frontier population. All of his material was kept in duplicate, since his papers were seized several times by American and Spanish officials, who were justifiably suspicious of his work.

"Returning to France, Collot prepared his manuscript for publication, and had it printed in 1804; however, this was hardly a good time for a French work drawing attention to Louisiana, since Napoleon had just sold that territory to the United States. There is evidence that the book was officially suppressed at the point of publication—one copy is known to have survived with the original title. The author himself died in 1805, and the sheets of the book sat in a warehouse for the next two decades, until they were purchased in 1826 by Arthus Bertrand, the leading French publisher in his day of travels and voyages" (Best of the West). Moreover, Bertrand wrote that he deliberately destroyed a number of sets to limit this edition to only 400 copies.

The large-scale maps are very impressive and include a three-part map of the course of the Ohio River, a general view of the Ohio and Missouri River basins, course maps of the Mississippi, Mobile, and Yazoo Rivers, plans of forts and settlements, and a map of the Illinois Country, among others. "All of the maps and plans are beautifully engraved on heavy paper ... The views in the atlas are equally impressive, and are some of the earliest finished views made in the Mississippi Valley. They include views of Pittsburgh, the fort at Natchez, a view of Marietta, Long-reach on the Mississippi, an American log cabin, a view of the falls of the Ohio and Louisville, a Shawnee Indian, a Kaskaskia Indian, a French house in the Illinois country, and a Mandan Indian. All of these combine to make Collot's work one of the great rarities of Americana" (ibid). Best of the West 53; Howes C-601 ("d" including text vols); Sabin 14460; Streeter sale 1789; Wagner-Camp 31a:1a; Wheat Transmississippi West 236.

Atlas volume only (without two text volumes). Folio (355 x 262mm). Title and contents leaf in French; 36 engravings by Tardieu comprising ten folding maps, one double-page map, 14 plans, eight views, and three portraits of Natives. Original marbled wrappers with paper printed cover label (well-worn and oversewn, backstrip nearly perished).

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Lot Essay

LIST OF ENGRAVINGS

1. General Map of North America
2. General Map of the Course of the Ohio from its Source to its Junction with the Mississipi
3. Plan of Fort Erie
4. Plan of Fort Niagara
5. View of Pittsbourgh
6. Plan of the Town of Pittsburg
7. Sketch of a Flat bottom Boat; such as are used to descend the Ohio and the Mississipi
8. A General Map of the River Ohio, Plate the First
9. A General Map of the River Ohio, Plate the Second
10. A General Map of the River Ohio, Plate the Third
11. A General Map of the River Ohio, From its Source to its mouth: containing the names of the Towns, Villages and Farms, established at present on its banks: togethes [sic] with its soundings, and courses. Plate the Fourth.
12. Plan of an Old fort in the state of Kentucky
13. View of the Fort of the Natchez
14. View of Marietta on the banks of the Ohio
15. View of Long-Reach
16. An American Log-house
17. Plan of the Rapids or Falls of the Ohio. Latitude of Louisville
18. View of the Rapids of the Ohio and of Louisville taken from the village of Clarkesville
19. Indian of the Nation of the Shawanoes
20. Indian of the Nation of the Kaskaskia
21. French Habitation in the Country of the Illinois
22. Road from Limestone to Frankfort in the State of Kentucky
23. Passage of a Branch of the river Juniata across a chain of Mountains uninhabited and covered with wood
24. Indian of the Mandanes
25. Map of the Course of the Mississipi from the Missouri and the Country of the Illinois to the mouth of this River
26. Plan of Cape Girardo
27. Plan of St. Lewis. With the Project of an intrenched Camp French
28. Map of the Country of the Illinois
29. Map of the Missouri; of the higher parts of the Mississipi; and of the elevated Plain, where the Waters divide, which run, Eastward into the River St. Lawrence; North East into Hudson's Bay; North North West into the Frozen Sea; and South into the Gulf of Mexico. To which is added Mackenzie's track in 1789.
30. Map of the Fort of New Madrid or Anse a La Graisse
31. Plan of Fort Des Ecores at Margot
32. Plan of Nogales
33. Chart of the Sources of the Mobile and of the River Yazoo. Including part of the Course of the Mississipi from the River Margot to the Natches
34. Town and Fort of Natchez
35. Plan of Fort Baton Rouge
36. Sketch of New Orleans taken from fort St. Charles