Ode To Oceanography: An Antique Map Of New Haven, Connecticut
This article is the fourth instalment in the 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 up for analysis, is a antique nautical map of the New Haven Harbour. New Haven has expanded since the maps making in 1847, & unfortunately for this reason we cannot say the exact length of the coast. The map is in very good condition, however it does look like parts of the border of the map are dirty, & the map has somewhat yellowed with time. In this article we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface level analysis on this antique nautical map. With that being said, let us delve into the waters of New Haven.
The Map Itself
Since this chart is in english, there is no reason to translate it into english. This map is centered on the New Haven Lighthouse.
A Surface Level Analysis On This Nautical Chart
We found this map through Maps Of Antiquity. This map was made by the United States Coastal Survey. It was made in the United States. This map is extremely accurate for the time, & the proportions of the map are shockingly correct. This map has no specific name, though it may belong to a specific volume of surveys. This map has no wind patterns, nor does it have any wave patterns on it. This map was most likely made to be uncoloured, so that it could be easily mass printed. There are no topographical features outlined on the map, as there are no mountains close-by the harbour. It was most likely used for military purposes, but it might not have been made for purely militaristic purpose. This map most certainly wasn’t hand drawn. There are 2 possibilities as to how the map was made, & the first of the 2 is more likely. The first method would be through lithographic printing. In this 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. The second method possible, is the engraving Method. This method was not to traditional at the time, though it could be done, it was not as common. In this technique, there are 5 jobs, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, the papermaker, & the colourist. The first step in this process is that the mapmaker will go out & make a hand-drawn map of the area where the map will encompass. Effectively, the mapmaker is the informant who makes the first copy. After this, the engraver will create a design of the map in reverse on a metal, usually copper, surface. Usually there would only be 1-2 plates used, however it differs depending on the size of the map. After the copper plate is made, the printer will heat the copper panel, & then proceed to lather it with ink. They will then wipe the copper panel down to the point where ink is only on the grooves of the panel. Then after this, the printer will press damp paper onto the ink, & hang it up to dry. To conclude, the colourist will touch up the map & decorate it by adding in details, such as shorelines & shoals. The first technique is more likely, as it could be done more easily & in higher quality.
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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