Matthäus Albrecht Lotter (1741–1810). Partie...Canada. 1755

Johann Baptist Homann (1664–1724)
Partie Orientale de la Nouvelle France ou du Canada
Nuremberg: Homann Heirs, circa 1755
Hand-colored copperplate engraving
Sheet size: 23 x 19 inches

A visually stunning and highly decorative map of northeastern North America, this work by the Homann Heirs captures the geopolitical drama of the French and Indian War era. Focusing on New France, Acadia, and New England, it extends from the Great Lakes and Hudson Bay to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Grand Banks off Newfoundland, offering a comprehensive view of contested colonial territories.

Rich in ethnographic and geographic detail, the map features French claims in bold coloration and delineates Indigenous territories such as the Attikameks, Iroquois, and Outaouais. The cartouche in the upper left bursts with imagery—Jesuit missionaries, fur traders, Native figures, and symbols of imperial wealth—while a lower right vignette depicts a dramatic naval battle, underscoring the strategic importance of Atlantic access.

Issued at a critical juncture in the Anglo-French rivalry for dominance in North America, this map reflects not only the topography of the region but also its layered cultural and political dynamics. Homann’s heirs, successors to one of Europe’s leading map publishing firms, combined rigorous German cartography with baroque theatricality, making this both a document of record and a collector’s treasure.