Charting Louisiana: Five Hundred Years of Maps.

Charting Louisiana: Five Hundred Years of Maps. Edited by Alfred E. Lemmon, John T. Magill, and Jason R. Wiese, with John R. Hebert, consulting editor. Foreword by Mary Louise Christovich. (New Orleans: Historic New Orleans Collection, 2003. Pp. xxii, 383. $95.00, ISBN 0-917860-470.)

When I was handed this book I had several thoughts. The first was that it was quite a book if judged by its dust jacket, size, and weight. I must confess that I was influenced by the fine reproduction of the 1701 Nicholas de Fer map. My next thought was how I might find a copy of that cartographic masterpiece for my library.

Each of the contributors has done excellent research and has something important to say. I was particularly drawn to Paul E. Hoffman's work on early mapping of the Gulf Coast. It is interesting to this Texas map collector to see here and in the next two chapters frequent examples of how the mapping of Louisiana provided cartographic knowledge of Texas and influenced its mapping. Louisiana seems to have a broader period of important map making than that of Texas, which mainly took place from just before to shortly after the Republic of Texas period.

Alfred E. Lemmon provides an informative insight into the mapping of Louisiana during its colonial period. As I looked through this book and studied the first-rate photographs of the various maps, I was struck by the abundance of maps produced by the French and those they influenced. Lemmon recognizes the importance of the Guillame de Lisle map of 1718. As an admirer of de Lisle, I would have enjoyed a brief discussion of the de Lisle influence on subsequent cartographers of the region. The absence of Spanish maps bears out the notion that the Spanish were very secretive with their cartography.

I was attracted to Ralph E. Ehrenberg's chapter on Louisiana from the time of its acquisition by the United States. This was an important period for the nation and for Texas. Moses Austin had come to Upper Louisiana in 1798 and in 1830 found himself in San Antonio planning to return home after an unsuccessful attempt to gain Spanish approval of his colonization proposal. One wonders what sort of map Austin used to find his way.

Mark F. Fernandez focuses on the nineteenth-century mapping of Louisiana. He uses many fascinating maps and prints. Jason Wiese gives us modern Louisiana, with a well-written summary of the 1927 flood on the Mississippi. He covers the important points briefly but well, including the shabby treatment of St. Bernard parish by the New Orleans city fathers, and appropriately raises the issue of coastal erosion, a significant problem elsewhere along the Gulf Coast.

John T. Magill closes with the development of New Orleans over the years from its modest establishment to the city we know today. People of the nineteenth century knew this city as the financial, social, and cultural center of the region. The latter part of the twentieth century saw the city transform significantly, although the change had earlier roots. Current interest seems to be on New Orleans as a tourist destination. Yet, its history and culture certainly provide a basis for great success in this area. One of the city's highlights must be the Historic New Orleans Collection, which brings this volume to publication. I was impressed to see that more than half of the maps came from the Historic New Orleans Collection, which houses one of the stronger map collections in the region.

The cartobibliography is well presented and easy to follow. I am flattered to have the opportunity to comment on this book. It sets the standard for a state atlas. Let us hope that the editors' lead is followed elsewhere and that the quality of this work is perpetuated. As a map collector primarily interested in Texas materials, I intend to consult this book in my own research. Others will find it equally valuable.

PAUL GERVAIS BELL JR.

Houston, Texas