Chart Atlantic Ocean by Chart (2 results)

Lithograph. 540 X 680 mm., image 510 X 630 mm., original hand-colouring, fold in centre. [From Philips' New General Atlas, 1858, with the plate number 55 in upper right margin].

1st Edition. Very good. Toning along fold line. Noticeable offsetting. Size 20 x 25 Inches. A lovely 1815 map of the Atlantic Ocean, including tracks of recent voyages, produced for the first edition of John Thomson's New General Atlas in 1817. It provides considerable useful information for mariners while also including some speculative features. A Closer Look Focusing on the North Atlantic, broadly defined (including the Mediterranean and Caribbean), this chart denotes the routes commonly taken by ships across the ocean, as well as those of recent notable voyages, such as the U.S.S. Insurgent or the track of Horatio Nelson in pursuit of the French fleet commanded by Pierre-Charles Villeneuve in the lead-up to the Battle of Trafalgar. Soundings, hazards, shoals, and information on winds are provided throughout. Unusually close attention is paid to confirmed and possible small islands, banks, rocks, and other features in the open ocean that might aid navigators. Even some of the features not noted as speculative turned out to be cartographic myths, such as 'St. Matthew Island' near bottom and 'Lake Atelukounipi' in Canada. But on the whole, a detailed and accurate overview of Transatlantic travel in the early 19th century. Publication History and Census This map was prepared and engraved in 1815 by J. (likely John) Moffat in Edinburgh for inclusion in the 1817 first edition of John Thomson's New General Atlas . It differs from most other maps in the atlas, which list John Menzies or Samuel John Neele as engraver. The individual listed here appears distinct from James Moffat, another Scottish engraver from Edinburgh, who spent most of his life in India and was known for his prints of daily life in Calcutta. The present map is not independently cataloged in the OCLC, while Thomson's entire atlas is well-represented in institutional collections. References: Rumsey 1007.056.