In September the MSU Map Library acquired Africa : corrected from observations of Mess. of ye Royal Societies at London and Paris published by Charles Price and John Senex in London in 1711.
Price and Senex were both prominent engravers and publishers of maps atlases and globes. This map extends Herman Moll's use of textual information, a clear break from the earlier practice of filling in blank spots with fanciful monsters and legends.
The beautiful vibrantly colored cartouche in the lower left corner features a woman wearing beads and earrings sitting with Africa's plentiful marvels around her: grain, elephant tusks, a scorpion, a lion, a snake, and two elephants. This same figure was used two years later by Pierre van der Aa.
The map was dedicated to Owen Brigstocke, esquire, of Lechdony in the County of Carmarthen. Owen Brigstocke was a barrister and Member of Parliament for the Cardiganshire burroughs in Wales.
This purchase enhances MSU Libraries' excellent Africana map collection; its purchase was made possible by the Tamara Brunnschweiler Geography Library Endowment Fund.
