Zacharie Chatelain (d.1723) was the father of Henri Abraham (1684-1743) and Zacharie Junior (1690-1754).  They worked as a partnership publishing the Atlas Historique, Ou Nouvelle Introduction A L’Histoire … under several different Chatelain imprints, depending on the Chatelain family partnerships at the time of publication.  The atlas was published in seven volumes between 1705 and 1720, with a second edition appearing in 1732.  The maps were accompanied by information pertaining to cosmography, geography, history, chronology, genealogy, topography, heraldry, and costume of the world.

The maps in the Atlas Historique were mainly based on those of the French cartographer, Guillaume De L’Isle, but were presented by the Chatelains in an encyclopaedic form.  The accompanying text is in French and often is printed in two columns on the page with maps and other illustrations interspersed.  Each map and table is numbered consecutively within its volume and all maps bear the privileges of the States of Holland and West-Friesland.

One of the most remarkable maps from the Atlas Historique is the vast Carte Tres Curieuse De La Mer Du Sud.  This spectacular map focuses on North and South America while also incorporating the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.  Central to the detail is the large depiction of California as an island – a somewhat outdated concept at the time of publication and a contrast to the geographically accurate (relatively) delineation of the Great Lakes and the Mississippi.  The Carte Tres Curieuse is also renowned for its illustrations of the New World; beavers are shown at work by Niagara Falls, a fishing factory is in operation in New England, and numerous views of New World cities are also included.  Medallion portraits of New World explorers show Columbus, Vespucci, Magellan, Drake, La Salle and Dampier.  A magnificent map from a magnificent work.

Click here to see some samples of maps by Chatelain

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