Ode To Oceanography: A Vintage Nautical Chart Of Delaware Bay
This is the sixteenth article in our Ode to Oceanography Series. This series will publish on the 15th of every month, until we run out of antique nautical maps to analyze, though that will not be for many decades. Once that happens, we will keep the series running, but we will change the article format. In these articles, will take an antique nautical map & analyze it in its entirety. These maps will not strictly be on open oceanic waters, they may be on rivers or occasionally, bays. We will also discuss the methods that may have been used to make the map, considering the time period, & the country of origin. These maps will come from a variety of sources, though they will mainly come from Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. These maps will come from varying time periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s map, is a vintage map of Delaware Bay, located in the Northeast of the United States. The bay of Delaware is a body of water in between the state of Delaware, & New Jersey. It is approximately 782 square miles in area, & is composed of both saltwater & freshwater. The map is in fantastic condition, with very little yellowing, folds, or damage. The chart is approximately 37 inches tall, & 30.6 inches wide. In this article we will discuss the map itself, the translation of certain sections of the map, & analyze this antique nautical map. With that being said let us delve into the serene area of Delaware Bay.
The Chart Itself
As map is in English, there is no need for translation. The chart is centered around Delaware Bay. The map is coloured, with the land areas being coloured yellow or cream, while the areas with water are coloured white. The chart has much detail, with the names of various banks, rivers, & landmasses on it. Many terrestrial topographic features are also outlined.
An Analysis Of The Chart
This map was designed in 1926 by the United States Coastal & Geodetic Survey, one of the precursors to the National Atmospheric & Oceanic Administration. The United States Coastal & Geodetic Survey was the first scientific Agency made by the United States Government, established in 1807. The Agency was unfortunately abolished in 1970, when it was merged with several other agencies to create the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. The map is fairly accurate, with very few terrestrial or oceanic areas being left off. Although it was made for militaristic use, it was likely also used by civilians. It is not clear how this map was made, however the most likely method was Lithography. The lithographic method was most popular for map making between the early 1820’s, & the 1910’s. In the lithographic method, the artist will draw directly onto a printing surface, such as zinc, or copper, until they are satisfied with the drawing. After this, the surface will be covered with a chemical etch, which will bond it to the surface. With this process, the blank areas will attract moisture to the plate & repel the lithographic ink, while the areas that are drawn on will hold the ink. Water is then wiped onto the unpainted areas to help prevent the ink from deviating. After the map wanted is inked, the paper is laid over it & covered with a tympan, & the tympan is pressed down. Finally, these materials pass through the scraper bar of the litho press. Afterwards, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed.
Directories / Credits
All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Maps Of Antiquity, a wonderful New England map shop. To purchase this map, any other maps, or any other cartographic objects, please visit mapsofantiquity.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Maps Of Antiquity, as we do not have a partnership with them.
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