Ancient vintage world map by Edward Wells. Double hemisphere cartography.

A New Map of the Terraqueous Globe according to the latest Discoveries and most general Divisions of it into Continents and Oceans (c. 1690s–1700s) is a finely engraved double-hemisphere world map designed for educational use. It presents the Earth’s landmasses and oceans with late-seventeenth-century geographic updates, including speculative elements in the Arctic and the Pacific. Decorative flourishes remain restrained, emphasizing clarity, proportional balance, and readable continental divisions. Insets and labels highlight trade routes and regional distinctions, reflecting a period of expanding scientific geography.

Edward Wells (1667–1727) was an English mathematician, geographer, and clergyman whose instructional atlases became widely used in schools and private libraries. His cartographic work is known for its pedagogical clarity, pairing precise linework with informative annotations. Wells’s maps helped transition English cartography toward more scientific visual standards, influencing how geography was taught and understood in the early Enlightenment.