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Source Description
By the end of the 17th century, the Dutch were losing their dominance in the European map trade and were being replaced by French, British, and German publishing firms. Displayed here is an example of an early 18th-century world map by the English map, atlas, and globe publisher John Senex. Utilizing a double hemisphere projection, this map was not as highly ornamented as its Dutch predecessors. The marginal decorations have disappeared. In their place, Senex has included texts about tides, evaporation, and trade winds based on the investigations and theories of Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley. The only ornamentation was confined to the dedication cartouche, which was enclosed by four female figures representing the continents of Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. In addition to the marginal texts, the map included two other types of scientific or thematic information. The Trade Winds were indicated by small directional arrows within the equatorial zone, and lines of magnetic variation were shown with curved lines. Despite the implications that this map was based on precise and accurate observations, it appears that the geographical information was not the latest and best. For example, California was still shown as an island, a cartographic myth that was initially challenged during the first decade of the 18th century.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
js956m38f
label
A map of the world
core
obj
dtoType
map
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
js956m38f
contentType
map
stage
normalized
title
A map of the world
description
By the end of the 17th century, the Dutch were losing their dominance in the European map trade and were being replaced by French, British, and German publishing firms. Displayed here is an example of an early 18th-century world map by the English map, atlas, and globe publisher John Senex. Utilizing a double hemisphere projection, this map was not as highly ornamented as its Dutch predecessors. The marginal decorations have disappeared. In their place, Senex has included texts about tides, evaporation, and trade winds based on the investigations and theories of Isaac Newton and Edmond Halley. The only ornamentation was confined to the dedication cartouche, which was enclosed by four female figures representing the continents of Europe, America, Africa, and Asia. In addition to the marginal texts, the map included two other types of scientific or thematic information. The Trade Winds were indicated by small directional arrows within the equatorial zone, and lines of magnetic variation were shown with curved lines. Despite the implications that this map was based on precise and accurate observations, it appears that the geographical information was not the latest and best. For example, California was still shown as an island, a cartographic myth that was initially challenged during the first decade of the 18th century.
date
["1725"]
year
1725
rights
No known copyright restrictions.
rightsUri
No known restrictions on use.
reuseAllowed
no restrictions
language
English
identifierLocal
05_01_000223
creators
Senex, John, d. 1740
institution
Boston Public Library
collections
Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center Collection
subjects
World maps--Early works to 1800
subjectsGeographic
World
genreBasic
Maps
typeOfResource
Cartographic
thumbnailUrl
largeImageUrl
pageCount
1
source
import
pubPlace
London
publisher
J. Senex
Source extras
institutionArkId
sf268508b
collectionArkId
41688024w
extent
1 map : col. ; 65 x 112 cm.
notes
Relief shown pictorially.
Dedication: To the right honourable Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington and Cork, Viscount Dungarvan, Baron Clifford of Lansborough and Baron Boyle of Youghall.
Exhibited in “Journeys of the Imagination,” at the Boston Public Library, Boston, MA, April - August 2006. MB (BRL)
hasTranscription
no
dcId
js956m38f
type
map
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
898ec1e177d33f52