Original antique map engraved by John Cary in 1799 and published in his New Universal Atlas in 1808. With original hand colouring.
"A New Map of the United Provinces" is a celebrated late 18th-century antique map created by the prominent British cartographer John Cary.
The complete historical title printed on the cartouche reads: “A New Map of the United Provinces, Comprehending Holland, Zealand, Utrecht, Gelders, Over Yssel, Friesland and Groningen; with the Lands of Drent, Dutch Flanders & Dutch Brabant &c. &c. From the Latest Authorities”.
It covers the entirety of the Seven United Provinces, stretching from Flanders in the south up to Emden in the nor
True to John Cary’s signature style, the map eschews heavy mythical embellishments and instead focuses on crisp, clear engraving and precise line work.
It features distinct hand-coloured borders to distinguish the different provinces and territories.
Cary’s exceptional standard of work later inspired the Ordnance Survey in the United Kingdom, which adopted his clean engraving aesthetics.
John Cary (1755–1835), was a prominent British cartographer and engraver. He published a wide range of highly accurate copper-engraved maps that became industry standards for their clean, un-ornamented style. These 1804 editions were largely prepared for his comprehensive New Universal Atlas, which was eventually issued in full in 1808.
Cary served his apprenticeship as an engraver in London, before setting up his own business in the Strand in 1783. He soon gained a reputation for his maps and globes. He published 'The New and Correct English Atlas' in 1787, which soon became a standard reference work in England.
In 1794 Cary was commissioned by the Postmaster General to survey England's roads. This resulted in Cary's 'New Itinerary', published in 1798, containing maps of all the major roads in England and Wales. He also produced Ordnance Survey maps prior to 1805.
Cary's New Universal Atlas, is a landmark of early 19th-century map making. It represented a shift from the decorative, artistic maps of the 18th century toward a more modern, scientific approach prioritising clarity, accuracy, and meticulous detail.
The 1808 edition featured 56 hand-coloured, engraved maps covering all major states and kingdoms worldwide, including highly detailed maps of England and Wales.
Cary replaced the "quaintness and charm" of older maps with a scientific rationality, using the latest surveying techniques to establish a standard that later influenced the Ordnance Survey.
The atlas was so popular it was reissued at least seven times over the next 30 years.
