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Extremely Rare, Separately Issued mid-19th-Century Map of Africa by the Pre-eminent Cartographic Family of the Regency.
Excellent map of Africa, known in only two other copies and showing the continent before a burst of colonization would change both the mapping of the continent and its history forever.
This map, apparently a reduced version of a larger wall map, preserves Africa as a still-unmapped continent, with a blank interior inherited from the famous 1802 Aaron Arrowsmith map of Africa made on behalf of the British Association for Discovering the Interior Parts of Africa. The map was originally issued by Samuel Arrowsmith after he took over the family business from his father in 1832. An edition of this map was published in 1837, shortly after a larger edition of the map appeared in July, 1836 here. Following Samuel’s 1839 death, evidently passed to Thomas Varty, formerly Roake and Varty. This dates the map to the 1847 – 1856 period.
The cartography is clearly derived from the 1836 map, but with updates. The course of the Niger River is shown with greater certainty and altered to be closer to its true position. The main course of the Senegal River is also more accurate, and fictive (at least in their mapped state) tributaries are removed. The Nile River is consolidated, with the White Nile no longer confidently shown veering westwards. In South Africa, the Cape Colony is extended northwards to the Orange River, and the Fish River is given its present name.
Rarity
WorldCat lists an 1837 edition at Toronto and an edition dated 1850? at BL. No records of having traded per web search.
The Arrowsmiths were a cartographic dynasty which operated from the late-eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth. The family business was founded by Aaron Arrowsmith (1750-1823), who was renowned for carefully prepared and meticulously updated maps, globes, and charts. He created many maps that covered multiple sheets and which were massive in total size. His spare yet exacting style was recognized around the world and mapmakers from other countries, especially the young country of the United States, sought his maps and charts as exemplars for their own work.
Aaron Arrowsmith died in 1823, whereby the business and title of Hydrographer to the King passed to his sons, Aaron and Samuel, and, later, his nephew, John. Aaron Jr. (1802-1854) was a founder member of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) and left the family business in 1832; instead, he enrolled at Oxford to study to become a minister. Samuel (1805-1839) joined Aaron as a partner in the business and they traded together until Aaron left for the ministry. Samuel died at age 34 in 1839; his brother presided over his funeral. The remaining stock and copper plates were bought at auction by John Arrowsmith, their cousin.
