Ode To Oceanography: An Antique Nautical Chart Of The Baltic Sea
This Article is the eleventh installment 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 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 periods, & will not be in any particular historical order. Today’s map is an antique map of the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is approximately 149,000 square miles (385,908.228 Square Kilometers), & 1,000 miles (1609.34 kilometers) long. The primary country on this map is Sweden, but part of the German Coast can be seen. There is slight yellowing on the right-hand side of the Map, which is due to the oxidation caused by the cellulose in the paper. There is also slight curling in the corners of the map, but that does not obscure any of the maps. The dimensions of the chart are 37.5 inches (95.25 centimeters) long, & 23 inches (58.42 centimeters) wide. In this article, we will discuss the map itself & the translation of certain sections of the map, & a surface-level analysis of this antique nautical map. With that being said let us delve into the Baltic Sea.
The Map Itself
Since this map is in English, it does not need to be translated. This map is extremely detailed, & fairly large. The map is also in very good condition considering the fact that it is over 130 years old. The map is uncolored, & does not seem to have any faded color. This map has many different names of towns along both the Swedish & German Coast, as well as a few different islands on it. Coves, bays, & inlets, however, are not labeled or featured on the chart. Topographical features such as mountains, are not outlined on this map.
An Analysis Of The Nautical Chart
This map was made in 1872. It is unknown where exactly this map was found. This map was made for the British Admiralty, by the British Admiralty, though It is unclear what exactly this map was used for in the British Admiralty. This map encompasses the majority of the Swedish Coast, & parts of the Baltic Coast of Germany. This map isn’t known to be a part of any particular nautical collection. Since the chart was printed in the 1870’s, it was most likely made through the lithographic method. 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. Afterward, an exact copy of whatever was supposed to be printed is revealed. Directories / Charts 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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