Ode To Oceanography: An Antique Map of the Territory of Hawaii

A gorgeous photograph of the Hawaiian Day Octopus, a creature that we covered in a previous article about the Hawaiian Island of Lanai. This octopus is known for its vibrant blue spots, symbolism in Hawaiian Culture, & conniving intellect. Credit to underwater photographer Teresa Zubi.

Today’s map in the Ode to Oceanography series is a lovely, 108-year-old, nautical chart of Hawaii, then referred to as the “Territory of Hawaii”, as it had not yet reached statehood. This chart showcases the entirety of the islands of Hawaii, from Ni’ihau to the Island of Hawai’i.

The map features a trove of topographic information, as well as information about coastal communities on the island. The map even includes volcanic eruptions which occurred around the time In addition to this, near the bottom towards the left, there is a table of the approximate distances between Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii, & various major cities. This would have been useful for any sailor of the Pacific, or any scientist looking to sail between Hawaii & any major cities. Although the chart has slight discolouration, it is still concise, with proportions of 33 inches (83.82 centimeters) wide, & 22 inches (55.88 centimeters) long.

In today’s article, we will discuss the map itself, & analyze this antique nautical map. With that being said, let us delve into the idyllic tropical islands of Hawaii!

The Chart Itself

A splendid 108-year-old map of Hawaii from the U.S. General Land Office.

This chart depicts all of the Pacific Islands of Hawaii, listed as the “Territory of Hawaii”. The chart was manufactured in 1917, back when Hawaii was a Territory, as it did not reach statehood until 1959.

The chart is coloured, with a light blue showcasing the sea, brown shades depicting each island, & red lines on each island depicting routes that one could take should they decide to traverse the island.

Sadly, the chart does not include very much Bathymetric information, however, it makes up for it in topographic details. The chart includes a multitude of town names, & other topographic features such as mountains, volcanoes, lava flows, past eruptions, & rivers, extremely useful to any sailor of the era.

The chart is also in decent condition, with some slight discolouration, & minor yellowing.

An Analysis Of The Chart

This map was manufactured in 1917, by the United States General Land Office. During the time of the maps' creation, Hawaii had been freshly made a Territory of the United States by the Hawaii Organic Act of 1900. To establish new infrastructure & connections with the mainland, it was imperative to have a proper understanding of Hawaii’s topography, surrounding oceans, volcanic activity, & similar attributes. It is also important to note that due to this sudden need for information about Hawaii, multiple other cartographers sprang into action & created similar maps.

Hawaii was also seen as a paramount part of our connections to Australia, & East Asia, & having an understanding of its distance from these locations would have been very important to many sailors of the Pacific during this Era. This is most likely why it was decided to include the table near the left center, showcasing the distance between various major port cities of the Pacific & Honolulu.

Considering the time that the chart was made in, & the fact that it was mass-produced, we believe that this chart was manufactured through lithography.

Lithography is a method of printing that arose in the 1820s, & remained the most popular method of printing in both color & grayscale until the early 1960s, when more efficient methods became available. It is still widely used for certain kinds of printing, such as fine art printing today, however, digital printing is far more common.

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 image 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. It is extremely useful for making high-resolution prints in high quantities.

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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