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 almost matches its illustrious predecessor.



Teesdale was renowned as a publisher and compiler.
He was born in 1776 but does not come into prominence in 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 English
interpretation, with the American border snaking along the Columbia River to
the Pacific Ocean. The whole region is also named “Columbia” but also bears the
name “Western Territory”. 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]