Map of Louisiana and the River Mississippi by John Senex

Sub-Title
This Map of the Mississipi (sic) Is Most humbly inscribed to William Law of [Larvreston?], Esq.
Subject

Colonial Louisiana

Date
1721
Mapmaker
Senex, John
Publisher

Browne, Daniel

Place of Publication

London

Accession Number
1980.014.006
Condition
Good.
Curatorial Notes

Formerly stored c5d10. Label from 1996 exhibition: The British imitation of Deslisle's 1718 map. Described as "a most impudent plagiarism" by one reviewer, does not include Deslisle's reference to the French priority of settlement and does not represent as large an area as does Deslisle'smap.

The decorative elements of this map portray the belief by Europeans that fabulous riches awaited those who came to the New World. He left side represents the New World's agricultural wealth while the right symbolizes mineral wealth. Sitting atop the elaborately engraved title cartouche is a winged female figure personifying Fame. She hold a laurel branch in one hand, a trumpet in the other. A cherub holds an upright cornucopia filed with agricultural bounties, and sugar cane grows below. A cherub pours coins from an overturned cornucopia toward two cherubim busily working in a mine--presumably a gold or silver mine. The male figure holding an overturned urn with water pouring forth personifies the Mississippi River.

Negative photostatic copy on cloth located 11192.08

Exhibition History
Dec 1982-1984: map exhibition in Presbytere.
Notes

British edition of Deslisle's 1718 Carte de la Louisiane et du Cours du Mississipi; does NOT locate New Orleans; thus is probably derivative of Deslisle's first edition of the 1718 Carte de la Louisiane.

The decorative elements of this map portray the belief by Europeans that fabulous riches awaited those who came to the New World. The left side represents the New World's agricultural wealth while the right symbolizes mineral wealth. Sitting atop the elaborately engraved title cartouche is a winged female figure personifying Fame. She holds a laurel branch in one hand, a trumpet in the other. A cherub holds an upright cornucopia filed with agricultural bounties, and sugar cane grows below. A cherub pours coins from an overturned cornucopia toward two cherubim busily working in a mine--presumably a gold or silver mine. The male figure holding an overturned urn with water pouring forth personifies the Mississippi River.

Size
19 x 26
Storage
c03d01