Map of Bay and Port to East of Falkland Islands / Plan de la Baie et du Port Situé à l’Est des Iles Malouines

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection

This map shows the northeastern part of East Falkland, the largest of the Falkland Islands, located in the South Atlantic Ocean. More specifically, it shows the inner cove of an inlet called Berkeley Sound. To the right of the map, marked by a red dot, is Port Louis, also known as Puerto Soledad or Port Solitude, which was originally established as a French colony under the name Port Saint Louis.

In 1763-64 French navigator and military commander Louis Antoine de Bougainville founded the first settlement on Berkeley Sound, at present-day Port Louis. French traveller and writer Antoine-Joseph Pernety took part in the expedition. Pernety later published his ‘Journal Historique d'un Voyage fait aux îles Malouines’. This map of the islands was published as an illustration to the work.

The map was sent to Margaret Thatcher in 1987 as a gift by an admirer in Malmo, Sweden, who congratulated Thatcher for her success in the Falklands Conflict of 1982. The Prime Minister replied personally, expressing her gratitude: ‘I cannot thank you enough for your very kind gift… [and] your good wishes which are very much appreciated.’ The work remained on display at Downing Street until 1995.

Places

South Atlantic, Falkland Islands

Subjects

map (as Subject), island, bay, port, ship

Materials & Techniques

engraving, coloured engraving

Artist

Antoine-Joseph ("Dom Pernety") Pernety (1716 - 1796)

Title

Map of Bay and Port to East of Falkland Islands / Plan de la Baie et du Port Situé à l’Est des Iles Malouines

Date

1769

Medium

Coloured engraving

Acquisition

Presented by Stellan Siverstolpe, June 1987

Provenance

Gift to Mrs Thatcher for 10 Downing Street from Mr Stellan Silverstolpe

GAC number

16629