The History of the Gulf Stream's Missing Chapter: John William Gerard De Brahm; The Occasional Papers Series No. 10

De Vorsey, Louis

Published by Philip Lee Phillips Map Society of the Library of Congress, Washington DC, 2016

About this Item

The format is approximately 8.5 inches by 11 inches. v, [5], 33, [3] pages, including covers. Illustrated cover. Illustrations (some in color). Maps (with color). Endnotes. Map Figures and Illustrations. The Philip Lee Phillips Map Society of the Library of Congress was named in honor of Philip Lee Phillips (1857-1924), the first Superintendent of Maps at the Library of Congress when the Hall of Maps and Charts was established in 1897. The Phillips Map Society publishes a journal dedicated to the study of maps and collections held in the Division known as The Occasional Papers. John William Gerard de Brahm (1718 c. 1799) was a German cartographer, engineer and mystic. He was born in Koblenz, Germany. He became "Captain Engineer" in the Imperial Army, but after his marriage (to Wilhelmina) emigrated to the British colony of Georgia. In the 1750s they baptized children at the "Independent Congregational Churches" in Stoney Creek and later Charleston, South Carolina. In 1754 he was appointed by the British as surveyor general for Georgia Colony. In August 1756 he traveled to the Cherokee Overhill country on the banks of the Little Tennessee River as the engineer constructing Fort Loudoun. He is said to have been the most prolific mapmaker in the Southern Colonies in the late eighteenth century. He drew up the plans for the New Bermuda settlement in Florida. He was imprisoned in France by the American Revolutionary government, accused of being a British loyalist. His wide-ranging travels show that in 1778 he resided in Britain. By 1784, records show him living in Philadelphia. Louis Carpenter De Vorsey of Athens, Ga. (1929-2012) received his bachelor's degree from Montclair State University in New Jersey and his master's degree in geography from Indiana University. Upon graduation from Indiana University, he entered the U.S. Navy Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an ensign. He served in the Heavy Photographic Squadron of U.S. Navy in Japan, Thailand, Guam and Alaska. He served in the Naval Reserves and retired as a commander in the U.S. Navy. After retiring from active duty in the U.S. Navy, Louis attended Stockholm University in Sweden. He received his doctorate in historical geography from the University of London. It was in London that Louis met his wife, Rosalyn, and together they moved to North Carolina where he held teaching positions at East Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina before settling in Athens where he taught at the University of Georgia for 20 years until his retirement in 1987. Louis's fascination with geography grew from his yearly trip to New Brunswick, Canada, to stay with his grandparents on their farm. For Louis, observing the changes in the landscape from the bus as a boy, his journey was an opportunity to go back in time. Louis published numerous books and essays in the field of historical geography. His doctoral dissertation led to the publication of The Indian Boundary in the Southern Colonies 1763-1775. His extensive research into the early cartography of the Gulf Stream was ongoing and his most recent paper, Thomas Jefferson and the Gulf Stream was recently accepted for publication. He enjoyed investigating the actual location of historically significant spots and found William Bartram's buffalo salt lick, an important landmark in colonial Georgia, in Philomath, Ga. Louis also brought the field of historical geography into the courtroom. He testified as an expert witness in a number of cases involving boundary line disputes including Georgia v. South Carolina, the United States v. Maine, and the United States v. Alaska. He was a consultant to the International Court of Justice in the United States Canada Seaward Boundary Delimitation.

Seller Inventory # 90388

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The History of the Gulf Stream's Missing Chapter: John William Gerard De Brahm; The Occasional Papers Series No. 10
• Publisher: Philip Lee Phillips Map Society of the Library of Congress, Washington DC
• Publication Date: 2016
• Binding: Wraps
• Edition: Presumed First Edition, First printing.
• Condition: Very good
• Seller catalogs:
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