The slave trade · 1562–1786
The coast and the country as mapmakers drew them, from the Portuguese pilots to the surveyors of the colony.
Many were made by colonial officials, missionaries and foreign visitors. Titles and descriptions come from the collections that hold them and can carry the attitudes and language of their time. We show them as historical records, not as endorsements. Dates, eras and categories were assigned automatically from those records and some will be wrong. If you or your family appear in a picture, you hold rights to one, a detail is wrong, or you think a picture should not be here, press “Report this picture” under it: your note reaches our editors with the picture attached, and they can take it down straight away. You can also write to hello@dt-ets.com.
Western Africa, from Senegal to Benin (Stefano Bonsignori) 1580
Original title: Western Africa including: Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Costa d'Avorio, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo and Benin title QS:P1476,e
Stefano Bonsignori 1589 – cartographer (Italian) Born in Firenze. Died in Firenze. Details on Google Art Project · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
The river and mountains of Sierra Leone / Villault de Bellefonds 17th century
Original title: La rivière et montagne de Sierra Leone / Villault de Bellefonds
Villault, Nicolas. Cartographe · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
The coast of Sierra Leone, Johannes Blaeu, 1662 1662
Original title: Kust van Sierra Leone Johannes Blaeu 1662
Johannes Blaeu Original uploader was Jan Arkesteijn at nl.wikipedia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
The kingdoms of Guinea, the Jolof and Sierra Leone. R 2= 22. Piece 15 1664
Original title: Genehoa, Jaloffi, et Sierraliones regna. R 2= 22. Pièce 15
Unknown author Unknown author · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
The kingdoms of Guinea, the Jolof and Sierra Leone 1686–1719
Original title: Genehoa, Jaloffi et Sierraliones regna
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Bay of Sierra Leone; view of the entrance to the bay / engraved by Dheulland 1700–99
Original title: Baye de Sierra Leona ; Veue de l'entrée de la baye de Sierra Leona / Dheulland sculp
Dheulland, Guillaume (17..?-177.). Graveur · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Map of the coast and neighbouring lands of the Sierra Leone and Sherbro rivers / [Bellin] 1700–99
Original title: Carte de la coste et pays voisins des rivières de Sierra Leona et de Sherbro / [Bellin]
Bellin, Jacques-Nicolas (1703-1772). Cartographe · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Map of the mouths of the Sherbro (or Cerbera) River on the Guinea coast, at 6 degrees 40 minutes north 1700–99
Original title: Carte des entrées de la rivière de Seherbro ou Cerbera située à la coste de Guinée par les 6 degrez 40 minutes de latitude septentrionale
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Bunce Island map circa 1727
Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Bunce Island north-west circa 1727
Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Map of part of the west coast of Africa, with an inset showing the coast of Sierra Leone 1732
Awnsham Churchill / John Churchill / Jan Kip · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Sierra Leone Johannes 1732 1732
Jan Kip · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Map of the mouth of the Sierra Leone River; plan of Bunce Island / [Bellin] 1740–49
Original title: Carte de l'entrée de la rivière de Sierra Leona ; Plan de l'isle de Bense / [Bellin]
Bellin, Jacques-Nicolas (1703-1772). Cartographe France. Dépôt des cartes et plans de la marine. Éditeur scientifique · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Part of the Guinea coast from the Sierra Leone River to Cape Palmas / [Bellin] 1740–49
Original title: Partie de la coste de Guinée depuis la rivière de Sierra Leona jusqu'au cap das Palmas / [Bellin]
Bellin, Jacques-Nicolas (1703-1772). Cartographe France. Dépôt des cartes et plans de la marine. Éditeur scientifique · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Forts at Komenda 1745
G. Child · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
From the Sierra Leone River to Cape Palmas / Bellin 1746
Original title: De la rivière de Sierra Leona au cap dos Palmas / Bellin
Bellin, Jacques-Nicolas (1703-1772). Cartographe · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
General history of voyages: a new collection of all accounts of journeys by sea and land 1746
Original title: Histoire générale des voyages, ou, Nouvelle collection de toutes les relations de voyages par mer et par terreposées sur les observations le
Prévost, abbé, 1697-1763; Meusnier de Querlon, A.-G. (Anne-Gabriel), 1702-1780; Green, John, d. 1757. New general collection of voyages and travels · No restrictions · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Part of the Guinea coast from the Sierra Leone River to Cape Palmas / [N. Bellin] 1746
Original title: Partie de la coste de Guinée depuis la rivière de Sierra Leona jusqu'au cap das Palmas / [N. Bellin]
Bellin, Jacques-Nicolas (1703-1772). Cartographe · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Map of the coast of Sierra Leone to Cape Mount 1747
Jakob van der Schley / Pieter de Hondt · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
A survey of the entrance of Sierra Leona river 18th century
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Map and view of the bay of Sierra Leone circa 1750
Pieter de Hondt / Jakob van der Schley · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Bay of Sierra Leone 18th century
Original title: Baye de Sierra Leone
Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Historic-Map SierraLeoneRiver 1760
Jacques Nicholas Bellin · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture
Rigobert Bonne, atlas of all the known parts of the world, MG 0025 1780
Original title: Rigobert-Bonne-Atlas-de-toutes-les-parties-connues-du-globe-terrestre MG 0025
Rigobert Bonne / Claude-Marie-François Dien · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · Source ↗ · Report this picture