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Monthly Archives: October 2017

The Making of a Modern River

October 27, 2017by themaphouse

At the beginning of the 19th century the Thames River was much as it had always been – erratic, unruly and navigationally difficult with waters of changeable quality. The port […]

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For over a century, The Map House has specialized in collecting fine cartographic material. Whether you are planning a visit to our Knightsbridge gallery or are curious about antique maps and prints more generally, we welcome your interest.

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Fascinating and important 1757 map of the Pacific Ocean by Philippe Buache, perhaps the earliest attempt to map the ocean's depths. (Almost exactly 200 years before Marie Tharp and Bruce Hezeen!) • Buache attempts to trace the routes of sea-floor ridges by connecting known islands, reefs, and banks to mountain ranges on land using the most up-to-date scientific information available. • The map's colouration is also important as it indicates which body of water the rivers of each landmass flow into: China Sea (green), Pacific Ocean (pink), or Atlantic Ocean (yellow). Buache was the first to cartographically explore the concept of watersheds, a term which would not come into use until decades later. His maps, though often not recognised as such, should be considered some of the first modern attempts at thematic mapping. • Buache was also a leading proponent of French theoretical cartography, a short-lived movement in the mid-18th century whose adherents used newly-acquired scientific data to propose hypotheses (usually wildly incorrect) about what might exist in the remaining blank spaces on the map. The large "Sea of the West" in the region of Oregon and Washington is a particularly common example from this period, as is Buache's dissected Antarctic continent, featured here in its own polar-projection hemisphere. • As noted on the map, Buache presented his theories to the French Academie des Sciences on September 5th, 1744 to much acclaim. He subsequently published a ground-breaking map of the Antarctic in 1754, a map of the world's watersheds in 1756, and this map of the Pacific Ocean in 1757. A later (c.1780) second state published by Dezauche is also known. • #mapping #ocean #explore #antiquemaps #raremaps #oceanography #maps #soundingitout #newdepths #themaphouse

This fascinating diagram of the interior of the Earth explains Athansius Kircher's theory of a network of subterranean channels connected various bodies of water on the Earth's surface. • He further theorized that the difference in temperature between the Earth's hot core and the cool surface propelled water upwards through these channels, creating tides, currents, and waves. • As a Renaissaince polymath, Kircher (1602-1680) was interested in all elements of mathematics and science and became determined to uncover the inner workings of the Earth. • In his landmark 1664 work "Mundus Subterraneaus", he speculated interactions between water, fire, and air resulted not only in volcanic activity, but also in ocean currents, weather, earthquakes, and tides. His theories were oversimplified and largely incorrect, however his suspicions that the Earth had a heated core and that the surface of the earth was made of moving plates would both ultimately be proven correct. • Kircher's diagrams are some of the most visually arresting science illustrations ever published, and as such are extremely sought after by collectors. • #raremaps #antiquemaps #history #maps #mapping #world #water #climate #Earth #renaissance #science #🌍 #environment #water

Unusual chart comparing the length of rivers and size of lakes around the world by innovative English publisher James Reynolds (1817-1876). • During his career, Reynolds published books, atlases, maps and scientific educational charts on a wide range of topics - from physical geography and geology to astronomy, architecture, ethnography and even prehistoric history. • Of particular note are his educational charts, most of which were published between 1846 and 1851. They were inexpensive, accessible to a wide audience, published a large numbers and very beautiful. The charts all feature striking, colourful illustrations with explanatory notes. • Reynolds took a great deal of care in making sure his charts were accurate and attractive. He employed experts, such as geographer Ernest George Ravenstein (1834-1913) and geologist Professor John Morris (1810-1886), to advise on accuracy and comprehension, and he also worked closely with the talented engraver and artist John Emslie (1813-1875) to produce his eye-catching designs. • #maps #dataviz #infographic #rivers #lakes #victorian #design #illustration #gis #mapping #worldwater

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