Henry Teesdale’s “A Chart of the World on Mercator’s Projection” is the closest map published in the Victorian era comparable to Aaron Arrowsmith’s map of the same title first published in 1790. In scope, size, information, aesthetics and sheer grandeur it comes close to matching its illustrious predecessor.

Teesdale was renowned as a publisher and compiler. He was born in 1776 but does not come into prominence in the field of cartography until the 1820s. He announced his entry into the field with a series of very fine, large, segmented, linen backed English county wall maps. This was followed by a much smaller county map atlas and a companion volume of world maps. Both of these were regularly issued throughout the next twenty years.

John Crane Dower, not to be confused with his son John Dower, is the other prominent name on the cartouche, as engraver. He was also a publisher, engraver and compiler and had a long association with Teesdale throughout both their careers.

This earliest edition of this chart we have been able to find was issued in 1838 with the last in 1857 although it seems to have been published in its largest numbers in the period between 1838 and 1845. Each edition has been revised and updated, making for a fascinating historical sequence. Its relatively long publishing history means that it is occasionally available to collectors.

The map is a true compendium of the history of exploration as well as the latest geo-political changes contemporaneous to the period.

Due to its size, it is able to showcase major marine voyages of the late 18th century, such as those of Cook, Vancouver and La Perouse, on a grand scale. In addition, more recent sea routes show Antarctic discoveries, including those of John Biscoe, Peter Kemp and Jules Dumont D’Urville as late as 1840. Other slightly more obscure routes include those of Captain Bligh, the mutineers and several of their pursuers. However, this is just a small sample of the marine history showcased on the map with more recent additions, such as a listing of the new steam ships travelling to India adding a new dimension to global sea based logistics.

The terrestrial discoveries are concentrated particularly in northern Canada where the vexing questions surrounding the Arctic coast have been revealed after the expeditions of Peter Dease and Alexander Simpson completed in 1839 on behalf of the Hudson’s Bay Company. This finally proved that there was no commercially navigable channel above the Arctic coast of Canada. Again, this is just a sample of the discoveries illustrated on this map.

Geo-politically, this map was being continually updated. This example shows the Republic of Texas, with a brief note stating that its status as an independent nation was recognised by Great Britain in Nov 1840. The disputed border of the Pacific Northwest is here shown with its American interpretation, with the American border reaching just above Queen Charlotte Island or approximately 53 degrees North. The whole region is also named “Columbia” but also bears the name “Western Territory”. This border is somewhat counter intuitive for a British map and was changed to run along the Columbia River in the 1842 edition of the map. South America shows turmoil in the establishment of its new countries, with a vast Colombia also occupying the modern regions of Ecuador and Venezuela, Peru being divided into North and South and Bolivia still having access to the sea.

In Europe, Greece is shown as independent of the Ottoman Empire, Belgium is now clearly installed as a new country after its secession from Holland and Russia is slowly creeping further south after the latest series of Russo-Turkish Wars.

The above description is only a brief overview of some of the aspects that make this map an object of fascination for a diverse audience of history buffs and map collectors. 

Original colour. [WLD4850]