Océanie

Decorative map of Oceania originating from one of the last great decorative atlases of the 19th Century.

Decorative map of Oceania, encompassing Australia, New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, as well as parts of Asia, and a small section of the coastline of western United States (California and Mexico).



The map itself is full of information and coloured outlines denote the boundary lines for the countries. To either side of the map are scenes of the native peoples of Oceania, vegetation, and fruits. Underneath these scenes are portraits of two famous European explorers. To the left, English explorer and cartographer, Captain James Cook (1728-1779) whose three voyages in the Pacific Ocean would lead him to make the circumnavigation of New Zealand, map the eastern coastline of Australia and be the first recorded European contact in the Hawaiian Islands (then known as the Sandwich Islands). To the right, French explorer, botanist and cartographer Jules Dumont d'Urville (1790-1842) who is known for his discoveries and mapping of islands in the South Pacific during a circumnavigation of the world in 1826-1829.



Below the map, a panel of text with a brief history of Oceania, describing the environment, European colonies and religions followed. To one side of this description a sweeping and picturesque view of an unknown coastal settlement.



Engraved by French artist Raymond Bonheur (1796-1849) for the "Universal Illustrated Atlas". Coloured. [AUNZ2955]