Ode to Oceanography: An Antique Map Of The Pacific Ocean

One of the earliest photographs of the Pacific Ocean was taken in 1909. This photograph was taken along the rocky coastline of Monterey, California—Credit to Revive Salvage.

Today’s nautical chart is an ancient, 354-year-old map of the Pacific Ocean, by the English. This map is of incredible historical importance, as it is the first map of the Pacific Ocean created by the English. The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on planet Earth, & was unknown to many Europeans until Vasco de Núñez Balboa discovered the Isthmus of Panama in 1513, & consequently, the Pacific Ocean. It was not understood in its full vastness, until Ferdinand Magellan & his men crossed the Pacific in 1521.

The map is fairly small, at 21 inches long by 17 inches wide. It does appear to some to have mild flaws, including small staining & toning in the center. Uncommonly for the time, the map has a variety of vivid colours. Along the shoreline, a bright yellow colour to differentiate between the ocean & the land, a blue colour can be seen along the coast, a purple can be seen on a figureheads robe in the upper right corner, a red can be seen on a figureheads hat, an orange can be seen outlining the title, & greens can be seen in various places throughout the chart.

In this article, we are going to discuss this primeval map, & perform an analysis of it. With that being said, let us delve into this archaic nautical chart!

The Chart

As discussed in the introduction, this chart is focused on the Pacific Ocean, & showcases parts of Western South America, Western North America, Japan, New Zealand, & Tasmania, also known as Van Diemen’s Land. The Pacific Ocean is referred to as “Mare Pacificum”, which means “peaceful sea”, in Latin, on the chart.

The chart showcases dozens of place names, from Point Conception, California, to Sand Hills, New Zealand. It refers to New Zealand as States Island, & remarks on its then recent discovery date of 1642.

One interesting thing that the chart showcases is the now disproven “Island California”, theory. For hundreds of years from the 1500’s, to the 1700’s, California was shown as an island, unattached from North America. This began with a map by Diego Gutiérrez published in 1562, & continued until 1747 when King Ferdinand VII of Spain issued a decree stating California was attached to North America.

Apart from minor marks near the center, the chart is in stunning condition for its age.

An Analysis Of The Chart

This chart was manufactured in 1627 by English Cartographer & Hydrographer John Seller. He was one of the most influential & illustrious cartographers of his time, & was well known for his oceanic works. He was born in London in 1632 to a family of cordwainers, which is a kind of shoemaker. Upon coming of age, he apprenticed with Edward Lowe, before leaving in 1654, & joining the Clockmaker’s Company. Although he began as a compass, & clock maker, & expanded his skillset to include cartography, as well as hydrography.

His career was abruptly interrupted when he was accused of being a conspirator in a High Treason plot led by nobleman Thomas Tonge. Whether he repeated rumours, was involved with the wrong people, or was completely unaware is unclear. What is clear however, is that he was convicted of treason, & held in Newgate Prison. While other conspirators were executed due to admission of guilt, he held his innocence steadfast, & through persistence, managed to convince the government to release him.

Upon his release, he went on to become one of the most influential hydrographers in England, even being named Hydrographer to the King. In addition to this, his 2 sons, John & Jeremiah Seller, would go on to pursue cartography, following in their father’s footsteps.

This chart was likely manufactured for civilian merchant purposes, particularly merchants looking to commercialize the newly discovered Pacific.

Considering the age of the map, it was most likely manufactured using the engraving method. In this technique, there are 4 roles, the mapmaker, the engraver, the printer, & 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 the ink is only on the grooves of the panel.

Thereafter, 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 result should be a detailed chart with colour, & depth, useful to any sailor of the era traversing the high seas.

Directories / Credits

All credit for this map analyzed today goes to Rare Maps, a California rare & antique maps store. To purchase this chart, antique atlases, or other cartographic objects, please visit www.raremaps.com. To be clear, this is not an advertisement for Rare Maps, as we do not have a partnership with them.

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