Ode To Oceanography: An Antique Nautical Chart Of Cape Cod
This is the sixteenth article 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, is an antique map of Cape Cod. Cape Cod is a cape along the southern coast of Massachusetts, a state located in the north east area of the United States. It is approximately 70 miles in length, & extends 65 miles away from Massachusetts into the Atlantic Ocean. The map is in excellent condition, with all information clear & visible, & there being very few signs of damage. The map is approximately 29 inches tall, by 35 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 tranquil area of Cape Cod.
The Map Itself
As the Map is in English, there is no need for translation. The map is uncoloured, & has many terrestrial topographic features outlined. The chart is incredibly detailed, & has the name of many small villages & towns that are located along Cape Cod outlined on it. It is centered around the cape itself. It does have some information regarding tides on it, along with information concerning the oceanic depths near Cape Cod.
An Analysis Of The Map
This map was designed & created in 1836, based off of information collected in 1833 & 1835. The chart was designed by the United States Topographical Engineers, a branch of the United States Military which officially existed from 1838 to 1863. The map was likely produced in New York State, as this is where many of the Topographical Engineers were located at the time. The map encompasses the entirety of Cape Cod, Cape Cod Harbour, & Provincetown. At the time, it was designed for use military use, specifically use by the Army & the Navy. The map does not have a particular name, & does not seem to be a part of any collection. This map was most certainly made via the lithographic process, due to its maker, & the time that it was manufactured in. 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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