Boston Library Recovers Stolen Samuel de Champlain Map

Photo Credit: BPL

A 403-year-old map believed stolen from the Boston Public Library more than a decade ago was located at a New York City antiques dealer, and has been returned, library officials announced Friday.

The map, “Carte Geographique de Nouvelle France,” compiled in 1612 by explorer Samuel de Champlain, was found for sale with an antiques dealer for $285,000, officials said. The map, which has prominent identifying marks, was discovered by Norman B. Leventhal Map Center curator, Ronald Grim, and a third party expert has confirmed its ownership.

“I want to recognize Ronald Grim for his attention to detail and passion for his work at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library,” said Mayor Walsh. “The library has one of the nation’s premier map collections, and I’m pleased we have restored this centuries old historic map to the collection.”

“I was stunned to come across the map, and thrilled to determine it indeed belongs to the Boston Public Library,” said Grim. “I’m proud it’s been returned to its rightful home.”

Shortly after Grim arrived at the Boston Public Library in 2005, he discovered that the map was missing from a book describing Champlain’s exploration in North America, “Les Voyages du Sieur de Champlain,” published in Paris in 1613.

As a result of Grim’s inventory, it was determined that 69 maps out of BPL atlases and books were missing. Thirty-three of the missing items have since been recovered (not including the Champlain map), and Forbes Smiley confessed to stealing 34.

Grim identified the missing Champlain map in an antiques publication earlier this summer, and compared the markings on the map being held at the dealer with a digital scan of a 4x5 inch negative of the map dating to 1992. The missing map has prominent tears on its left side, and a small hole at the juncture of two fold lines just above the middle tear. Despite conservation efforts since the item was in the BPL’s possession, Grim was able to determine that the markings on the map are consistent with the BPL’s digital record.

The antiques dealer, who has been fully cooperative with the BPL during this process, had been retained by a third party to sell the map on commission.

Samuel de Champlain made 20 voyages across the Atlantic between 1603 and 1613, exploring much of eastern Canada and the coast of New England. Champlain compiled several maps related to his explorations, but the Carte Geographique de Nouvelle Francewas the first published map recording his early explorations. The map, which measures 17 inches by 30 inches, shows the coast of New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces, and the St. Lawrence River Valley as far west as the Great Lakes.