Nicolas de Fer - Introduction à la géographie - 1708

Paris, Gilles Paulus-du-Mesnil, 1708. In-12, 310 pp. of which one engraved frontispiece, contemporary full calf binding, spine ornamented with five nerves, title piece in red morocco. Condition satisfactory, head- and tailcaps missing, joints split. Two manuscript ex-librises.

Original edition of great rarity. It does not contain the 6 maps that will be found in the three successive editions (1717, 1722 and 1754).

Nicolas de Fer (1646-1720) was one of the greatest map producers of the 17th century, living and keeping shop in a small premises in front of the Palace clock on the Île de la Cité, where all the print and map sellers gathered. He adopted as his sign the "Sphère Royale" of Tavernier (a major print dealer and partner of Sanson). He positioned himself as a popularizer and, unlike Sanson or Duval, he showed little interest in historical or sacred geography and mainly issued current and useful documents: frontier maps, fortified towns by Vauban, measurements of the Academy of Sciences, voyages of discovery… In 1690 he was named geographer to the Grand Dauphin and from 1711 geographer to the kings of France and Spain. With the support of certain academicians he published large Atlases that secured his success.

Absent in Pastoureau who describes at reference "FER XI" an entirely engraved edition. No sales copies recorded in recent years. 3 copies at WorldCat, at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, at the Bibliothèque municipale of Rouen, and at the University Library of Augsburg.