That time I found a map that showed California as an island from 1720

I was helping a buddy clean out his grandpa's attic in Phoenix last month and we stumbled on this old map rolled up behind a dresser. It was a French map from like 1720 and it literally had California drawn as a giant island floating off the coast. I almost dropped it when I saw it because I thought that was just some old myth. the map had the whole west coast all wrong with rivers going everywhere and places called things like 'Nova Albion' for Oregon. It was wild seeing how bad their geography was back then even for the time. My buddy ended up selling it to a collector for $300 which is way more than I expected for some dusty old paper. Has anyone else ever found one of those old island-California maps just sitting around somewhere? I want to know if they're common or if we got lucky.

2 comments

2 Comments

reese_perry625d ago

Those old island California maps from the early 1700s pop up every few years at estate sales and antique shops. $300 is a fair price if it was a legitimate French edition with hand coloring, especially with No California cities shown. You probably got lucky with the condition since rolled maps stored in attics usually have water damage or foxing.

shah.olivia25d ago

Check the paper texture next time, that's your real giveaway for authenticity.