Description
Tobias Lotter's America Spetentrionalis Map
This fine engraved map is by Tobias Conrad Lotter (1717-1777). He used well-known Guillaume De L'Isle's landmark L'Amerique Septentrionale of 1700 as a basis for his map. He made updated and significant changes, however. Political boundaries put in place during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) are depicted. British, Spanish, and French claims to the country were supported, and he left the western part of the country unfinished to allow for new discoveries.
Lotter was the son-in-law of Mattaeus Seutter, the head of the famous Suetter Family of mapmakers. Upon the patriarch's death, Lotter and Seutter's son took over the family business. About 5 years later, Lotter began to publish maps on his own. Seutter studied under Johann Baptist Homann. Both the Homann and the Seutter families were the prominent cartographers of the 18th century. Their maps are well-known for their accuracy, and minute details.