Detail of a red Morocco binding shows wear near the spine. Partial view of the title on the spine.
Detail of a printed book shows a fold-out map of the world. Some text in French is visible.

Atlas de toutes les Parties Connues du Globe Terrestre

Guillaume Thomas Francois Raynal
circa 1780

This 1780 atlas volume accompanies the four-volume Histoire des deux Indes, a foundational text for understanding Enlightenment thinking on global empire and trade that was written by the Abbé Raynal, a French abolitionist and anti-colonial philosopher. Because of the notoriety and secrecy surrounding the writing and publication both the work and its atlas volume, there are many pirated versions and editions. While the JCB has an extensive collection of editions, this edition of the atlas did not figure in the collection. Its recent acquisition complements the JCB’s already impressive Raynal holdings, allowing for valuable comparative work, especially in view of Oxford University Press’ ongoing multi-year facsimile project for Histoire des deux Indes.

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