1825 - 1827 Amer. Mer. Partie du Perou. No. 20

This is an antique map depicting a large portion of Peru in western South America. Countless river systems of the region are denoted, as well as lakes small and large, including Lake Titicaca. Just Northwest of Lake Titicaca lies the ancient Inca capital city of Cuzco. Part of the Andes, the world’s longest mountain chain, is depicted throughout the map. The maps’ most distinguishing qualities include the use of the same scale and projection for each map that was in the original atlas. The consistent nature of these elements allowed said maps to be joined together to form a huge globe measuring over 25 feet in diameter.  About Philippe Marie Vandermaelen Born to a wealthy family, Vandermaelen was more interested in cartography than in his father’s business, and was obsessed with maps from a young age. He taught himself mathematics, astronomy, and mapmaking and even plotted the battles of the Napoleonic wars on his own. He made a mark for himself by publishing the first lithographic atl