A Chart of the Canary Islands Including Madeira.

1867 Norie and Wilson Nautical Chart or Map of the Canary Islands and Madeira

Publication Date: 1867

About this Item

Very good condition. Cleaned and re-backed. Split with slight loss repaired at top center. Size 27.5 x 34.5 Inches. An exceptionally beautiful 1867 James Norie and Charles Wilson nautical chart or maritime map of the Canary Islands and Madeira, including part of western Africa. As a whole the map offers excellent detail with inland topography on all of the islands as well as countless depth soundings. There are three inset detail maps in the lower left focusing on Arrecife, Funchal, and Santa Cruz. An additional seventeen land profile charts filling the upper right and lower right. The title is set in an elaborate typeface just outside the map's upper border. Canary Islands The Canary Islands were a popular stopping point for ships traveling between Europe and the Americas. By the time this map was made, Madeira was known around the world for its fine desert wines, among the most popular luxury beverages in the Western Hemisphere throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. 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 warp 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. 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 embraced by chartmakers outside of England, including Americans Edmund March Blunt and George Eldridge, as well as Scandinavian, French, German, Russian, and Spanish chartmakers. Blueback charts remained popular until the late 19th century, when government subsidized organizations like the British Admiralty Hydrographic Office and the United States Coast Survey, began issuing their own superior charts on high quality paper that did not require reinforcement. Publication History Cartographically this map is based on the work of J. S. Hobbs. It was engraved by Charles Wilson, of 'Norie and Wilson,' a nautical publishing firm based at 157 Leadenhall Street, London.

Seller Inventory # CanaryIslandsMadeira-norie-1867

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Chart of the Canary Islands Including Madeira.
• Publication Date: 1867
• Seller catalogs:
  • AFRICA-MAPS