Ode To Oceanography: An Antique Nautical Chart Of Taiwan & The Philippines

Today’s map is an antique map of Taiwan, & the Island of Luzon, The Philippines. Taiwan is a large island off the coast of China, in the northern Pacific Ocean, while the isle of Luzon is the largest island in the Philippine Archipelago, with the largest population of any Philippine isle. The chart spans a decent amount of land, covering approximately 800 miles of the Pacific Ocean. 

The map is in fair condition, apart from a stain near the upper right corner, a stain near the bottom of the map, as well as a few wrinkles & fold marks. 

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 Isles of Taiwan, & Luzon. 

The Chart Itself 

An antique nautical chart of Taiwan & the Philippines.

Due to the map being in English, there is no need for translation. The map spans covers 3 main areas, those being Taiwan, Luzon, & China’s Haitan Bay. Although the map is uncolored, it has yellowed with age. On the chart, there are the names of various islands & topographic features, with a few areas noted as “position doubtful”, or “uncertain or doubtful”. The chart proves to be fairly accurate, apart from the areas it declares as uncertain.

The chart has approximately 8 different compasses in the Left, Right, & Central areas of the map, drawn on very lightly. 

An Analysis Of The Chart 

This chart was designed & released in 1863, by the Scottish pair of Hydrographers James Imray & his son, James Frederick Imray. The map was created & published in London, as that is where the cartographic office of the Imray’s was located. This map was made available for purchase by Maps of Antiquity. It is unclear whether or not the map is a part of any particular collection of the Imray.

The map was made for Civilian Use, & it is unlikely that it was used by any militaries or militia groups. 

Considering the makers of the chart & the time period, this map was likely made with Lithography. Lithography is a method of printing that arose in the 1820s, & remained the most popular method of printing until the early 1930s when more efficient methods became available. There are 2 main methods, with one of the methods remaining popular well into the modern day for producing large quantities of prints. 

In the common lithographic method of the time, 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 / 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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