Jacques Nicolas Bellin the Elder led a long and distinguished career as a French cartographer. His son, Jacques Nicolas Bellin, the Younger (1745-1785), was also a map maker and an engraver in Paris. Bellin the Elder was the first chief hydrographic engineer for the French government and earned the name 'hydrographe du roi (king)'. He completed maps of Japan, Canada and France. In 1763, his five volume "Petite Atlas Francais" was reissued as "Le Petite Atlas Maritime" due to its popularity. His "Atlas de Corse," published in 1769, contained 33 maps.
