Folding fan. Sticks and guards of plain, unadorned wood. Paper leaf colored lithographed with line of musical score and lyrics across top, French text, and figural scene. Titled “Allégorie sur les États Généraux”.

Map shows major cities along the coasts of North America, Central America, and the Antilles. Native American habitation in some areas of North America are also noted. Hand colored. Scale [ca. 1:37,500,000]. Map comes from Atlas de toutes les parties connues du globe terrestre [Atlas of all known parts of the globe] published in 1780.

Map shows major French, English and Spanish settlements on the North American continent, Central America, and the islands of the Caribean. Scale [ca. 1:34,500,000]. Map comes from Atlas de toutes les parties connues du globe terrestre [Atlas of all known parts of the globe] by Guillaume Raynal.

Map shows North America, South America, and part of Oceania in the western hemisphere and Europe, Asia, Africa, and the remainder of Oceania in the eastern hemisphere. Map is from the author's Atlas de Toutes les Parties Connues du Globe Terrestre [Atlas of All Known Parts of the Globe]. Scale [ca. 1:100,000,000].

Armide was premiered at the Paris Opéra on September 23, 1777, recalling the earlier success of Lully’s opera of the same name, which premiered nearly a century earlier on February 15, 1686. After collaborating on several reform operas with Calzabigi, Gluck revived the older dramatic tradition of Quinault (Lully's librettist) by setting the older text in the modern musical style. The seventeenth-century five act model requires more continuous music, with few distinct arias, as well as divertissements and spectacular effects. Gluck also respects the tragic conclusion endemic to the model, avoiding the modern practice of the lieto fine ("happy ending") in which misfortunes are reversed at the last possible moment.

Armide was premiered at the Paris Opéra on September 23, 1777, recalling the earlier success of Lully’s opera of the same name, which premiered nearly a century earlier on February 15, 1686. After collaborating on several reform operas with Calzabigi, Gluck revived the older dramatic tradition of Quinault (Lully's librettist) by setting the older text in the modern musical style. The seventeenth-century five act model requires more continuous music, with few distinct arias, as well as divertissements and spectacular effects. Gluck also respects the tragic conclusion endemic to the model, avoiding the modern practice of the lieto fine ("happy ending") in which misfortunes are reversed at the last possible moment.

The story of Atys was first known operatically through Lully’s opera that premiered in 1676 at the court of St Germain-en-Laye. Marmontel adapted Quinault’s libretto and modified it by removing the prologue and divertissements. He also altered the plot; in lieu of Ovid’s metamorphic ending (to which Quinault had adhered), Atys commits suicide.

The story of Atys was first known operatically through Lully’s opera that premiered in 1676 at the court of St Germain-en-Laye. Marmontel adapted Quinault’s libretto and modified it by removing the prologue and divertissements. He also altered the plot; in lieu of Ovid’s metamorphic ending (to which Quinault had adhered), Atys commits suicide.

Although the story of Bluebeard was familiar to French readers from Charles Perrault’s 1698 collection of children’s tales, transferring it to the operatic stage was problematic due in large part to the gruesome nature of the plot. Other violent works had appeared in Paris, but in this instance, the drama was to be performed at the Comédie-Italienne, which typically featured lighter plots than that of Raoul and Isaure. Nevertheless, the opera had a successful run, receiving over a hundred performances in the decade after its premiere. After its initial popularity, Raoul Bluebeard was staged less frequently, but it still made an impression on nineteenth-century composers, particularly Weber.

Paisiello’s Il barbiere di Siviglia was based on the first play, Le barbier de Séville, ou La precaution inutile (1772), of Beaumarchais’s famous trilogy. The controversial commentary on aristocracy caused the play to be banned from the stage for three years. The ban was lifted in 1775 and the work premiered that same year; Beaumarchais finally saw the work performed in 1780 when he was employed by Catherine II in St. Petersburg. Although Rossini’s later opera (of 1816) is more familiar today, Paisiello’s rendition was extremely popular throughout Europe during its time. The work was first performed in St. Petersburg in September of 1782.

Map shows known geography and major cities located in North America, South America, Southern Europe, and Western Africa. Inset: [Supplement to the north-west of America, after the discoveries of Captain Cook]. Includes text. Boundaries outlined in color. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:32,000,000].

Map shows late eighteenth century geography, towns, and forts in late eighteenth century Mexico. Notes about Native American tribes are also present. The route taken by Monsieur de Pagès while traveling through "Province de los Texas" on a journey from New Orleans to Acapulco is, also, marked. Relief shown pictorially. No scale noted.

Map shows settlements and routes of Captains Cook and Clarke along coastlines of northeastern Asia and northwestern North America; route of Spanish galleons between Manilla and Acapulco. Relief shown pictorially. Scale not given.

Map shows basic geographical features and major settlements in late eighteenth century North America. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:10,000,000].

Map shows cities, major roads, swamps, and areas of Native American habitation inland and along the coasts of Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina; the Bahama Islands. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:3,500,000].

Map shows extent of North America west and south to the Rio Grande and the Gulf of Mexico, east to the Atlantic coast, and north to the Great Lakes; French Louisiana extends to the Red River [or by coloration to the Rio Grande] in the southwest and to the western boundaries of the American colonies [United States]; major roads, cities and settlements, areas of Native American habitation. Relief shown pictorially. Scale not given.

Map shows areas of Creek and Cherokee tribal locations, military outposts, cities and towns in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Relief shown pictorially. Scale [ca. 1:4,250,000].

Map shows the upper part of India below the Ganges between the coast of Concan and that of Orissa, with the Mogul Empire, and Bengal. Relief shown pictorially. Inset: "Bouches du Ganges." Scale [ca. 1:10,000,000].

Map shows West Indies, coasts of Southern States, Mexico, Central America, and the northern part of South America. Relief shown by hachures. Scale [ca. 1:2,500,000].

Map shows inland settlements of coastal lands of the North, Central, and South Americas along the Gulf of Mexico; Gulf and Pacific coasts of New Spain; islands and ship channels of the Caribbean and Atlantic areas including the West Indies and Bermuda. Includes text and color key to European possessions; key to rivers in the Gulf of Panama. Relief shown pictorially. Depths shown by soundings. Scale not given.

Map shows geography, settlements, Native American habitation, territorial lines, and political borders in the southern two-thirds of late eighteenth century North America and the West Indies. Relief shown pictorially. No scale noted.

This map shows Mexico and surrounding areas including portions of present-day, southern United States. Cities, forts, missions, and other settlements are marked with different symbols (a key titled "Remarques" is in the lower right corner). Additionally, bodies of water and geographic features are marked (with relief shown pictorially) as well as various Mexican states and regions.

Map shows settlements, boundaries of American colonies and portions of Lower Canada to the Gulf of the St. Lawrence River. Relief shown by hachures. Depths shown by soundings. Scale [ca. 1:1,700,000].

Map shows major cities, physical features, some political divisions, for 6 continents, including "Nouvelle Hollande" [Australia]; upper portion of North America bears a note inferring it is unknown whether it is sea or land. Includes notes and text. Relief shown pictorially. Scale not given.