A Benjamin Franklin owned Chart of the Gulf Stream, Remarques Sur la Navigation de Terre-Neuve a New -York afin d'eviter les Courrants et les bas-fonds au Sud de Nantucket et du Banc de George George-Louis Le Rouge, Paris, circa 1783 Engraving on period French watermarked laid paper, framed.
Plate mark: 13 1/4 in. x 15 1/16 in.; Neat line: 12 1/2 in. x 14 1/4 in.; Sheet: 18 1/4 in. x 24 5/16 in.
PROVENANCE:This is almost certainly one of a group of Le Rouge's Chart of the Gulf Stream brought to Philadelphia by Benjamin Franklin (1705-1790) upon completion of his role as minister plenipotentiary to France in 1785. The Charts descended to Sarah Franklin Bache (1743-1808), thence to Benjamin Franklin Bache (1769-1798), Dr. Franklin Bache (1792-1864), Charles Meigs Bache (1829-1890), Franklin Bache (1869-1946), Henrietta Bache Jayne (1908-1977), Timothy Jayne (1932-2018), to present owner.
In the 19th century, several of these Charts were obtained by prominent Philadelphia book and map collectors.
Dr. Thomas Hewson Bache (1826-1912), a son of Dr. Franklin Bache, presented one with the identical watermark to The Library Company in the 19th century. Franklin Bache presented another to the Library of Congress in 1935.