A Chart of the Coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, Frace, Spain, Portugal, and c. Showing the whole Navigation from Feroe and Orkney Isles to Gibraltar, Barcelona, Algeries, etc.

1858 Hobbs Blueback Nautical Map of the British Isles and the Eastern Atlantic Ocean

Publication Date: 1858

About this Item

Good. Some 19th century repairs on verso, including stitched sailor repair in the lower left. Some soiling and tallow stains, upper left and below title. Working nautical chart. Pencil annotations here and there. Size 39.25 x 53.25 Inches. This is an expansive west-oriented 1858 J. H. Hobbs nautical map of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, covering England, Ireland, Scotland, the Faroe Islands, the English Channel, and the Bay of Biscay. The chart was likely intended to serve the late 19th-century British Herring Boom. A Closer Look Oriented to the east and centered on the British Isles, coverage embraces a vast swath of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from north of the Faroe Islands to northern Spain and part of the North Sea east of the British Isles. Countless depth soundings appear throughout, as well as annotations regarding shoals and other undersea dangers. Some nonspecific manuscript annotations here and there reference use at sea. There is a large inset in the lower right detailing the Pentland Firth. Inset of Pentland Frith During the 19th century, the Pentland Firth, a strait located between the northeastern tip of mainland Scotland and the Orkney Islands, was renowned for its treacherous waters and powerful tidal currents. It presented challenges to navigation, especially for the expanding fleets of herring boats capitalizing on the 19th-century British Herring Boom. The Firth was a critical passage for vessels moving between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, making it strategically vital. Furthermore, its surrounding areas, influenced by the sea's bounty, saw communities grow and thrive on fishing, while tales of shipwrecks and sea lore became woven into the local cultural tapestry. Herring Boom From the mid to late 19th century, northern Europe experienced the Herring Boom, a period when vast shoals of Atlantic herring provided one of the most important and lucrative fisheries of the age. Herring had long been a dietary staple and export commodity, but improvements in catching methods - particularly the adoption of drift nets and later steam-powered vessels - allowed for much larger harvests. British ports in particular flourished as seasonal herring capitals. The trade supported thousands of fishermen, coopers, curers, and traders, while towns swelled with migrant workers, especially women who gutted and salted the fish for preservation and export to markets in Germany, Russia, and beyond. The boom reached a peak in the second half of the century, with herring dubbed the 'silver darlings' for their economic value. Yet it also brought cycles of overfishing, fluctuating stocks, and eventual decline, foreshadowing the ecological pressures that would later transform global fisheries. Blueback Charts Blueback nautical charts began appearing in London in the late 18th century. Bluebacks, as they came to be called, were privately published large-format nautical charts known for their distinctive blue paper backing. The backing, a commonly available blue manila paper traditionally used by publishers to wrap unbound pamphlets, was adopted as a practical way to reinforce the low-quality paper used by private chart publishers in an effort to cut costs. That being said, not all blueback charts are literally backed with blue paper; some are unbacked or backed with linen. Moreover, blueback charts, which were typically composed of multiple sheets, were designed in a modular fashion so that multiple charts could be joined to create truly massive custom maps suited for specific voyages. The earliest known blueback charts include a 1760 chart issued by Mount and Page, and a 1787 chart issued by Robert Sayer. The tradition took off in the early 19th century, when British publishers like John Hamilton Moore, Robert Blachford, James Imray, William Heather, John William Norie, Charles Wilson, David Steel, R. H. Laurie, and John Hobbs, among others, rose to dominate the chart trade. Bluebacks became so popular that the convention was embrac.

Seller Inventory # BritishIslesNorthSea-hobbs-1858

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Chart of the Coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, Frace, Spain, Portugal, and c. Showing the whole Navigation from Feroe and Orkney Isles to Gibraltar, Barcelona, Algeries, etc.
• Publication Date: 1858
• Seller catalogs:
  • ENGLAND-SCOTLAND-IRELAND