[Toronto]: 1907. Giant folding map, consisting of four separate sheets, the total measuring approximately 62 x 74 inches. Printed in black and light blue. A few short separations at folds. Light tanning, very occasional small patches of light staining and minor wear. Very good, in original condition. Item #157
A scarce and massive map of Ontario that depicts Canadian forest preserves, mining areas, and significant geographical features, with notes on land quality and natural resources, in the northern regions of the province at the beginning of the 1900s. The map shows the results of a survey conducted in 1900 by the Department of Crown Lands under the direction of its Commissioner, E.J. Davis, with a view toward developing officially unexplored areas and their resources in Ontario. In scope, it extends from the southern edge of James Bay and the mouths of the Albany and Moose Rivers in the map's upper right corner to Thunder Bay and Lake Superior at lower left.
The report on the results of the exploration and survey were published in 1901, and a first issue of the map was published separately. According to OCLC, copies of the first issue map itself are held by five institutions, and copies of the present 1907 issue, evidently the second, are held in three. No copies of any issue of the map appear in auction records. An imposing and significant visual distillation of the Canadian understanding of its natural resources in Ontario at the dawn of the 20th century.