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1860 Hobbs Blueback Chart of the Bay of Biscay
BayofBiscay-hobbs-1860$850.00
Title
A Chart of the Bay of Biscay compiled from the latest French and Spanish surveys.
1860 (dated) 38.75 x 40.25 in (98.425 x 102.235 cm) 1 : 815000
1860 (dated) 38.75 x 40.25 in (98.425 x 102.235 cm) 1 : 815000
Description
A rare 1860 blueback nautical map of the Bay of Biscay, prepared by John Stratton Hobbs and published by Charles Wilson. The Bay represents some of the worlds most active but unpredictably dangerous waters notorious for rough seas and treacherous storms.
The tradition took off in the early 19th century, when British publishers like John Hamilton Moore, Robert Blachford, James Imray, William Heather, John William Norie, Charles Wilson, David Steel, R. H. Laurie, and John Hobbs, among others, rose to dominate the chart trade. Bluebacks became so popular that the convention was embraced by chartmakers outside of England, including Americans Edmund March Blunt and George Eldridge, as well as Scandinavian, French, German, Russian, and Spanish chartmakers. Blueback charts remained popular until the late 19th century when government-subsidized organizations like the British Admiralty Hydrographic Office and the United States Coast Survey began issuing their own superior charts on high-quality paper that did not require reinforcement.
A Closer Look
The chart traces the coast of the Bay of Biscay from Brest and Ushant (Ouessant) Island at the western tip of France, down the French coast, along the Cantabrian Coast in northern Spain, and around to Cape Finisterre (Fisterra) in Galicia, thought in Roman times to be the end of the known world. Five compasses with magnetic variations appear, along with soundings, hazards, shoals, islands and islets, bottoms, lighthouses (with range of visibility and speed of rotation noted), and other features indicated. On land, coastal cities and towns are also recorded. Around the main chart are profiles of several important lighthouses and capes, along with twelve inset charts of bays, ports, and harbors throughout the region, including Bilbao, Santander, and San Sebastian, as well as the Mouth of the Loire River.Blueback Charts
Blueback nautical charts began appearing in London in the late 18th century. Bluebacks, as they came to be called, were privately published large format nautical charts known for their distinctive blue paper backing. The backing, a commonly available blue manila paper traditionally used by publishers to wrap unbound pamphlets, was adopted as a practical way to reinforce the low-quality paper used by private chart publishers in an effort to cut costs. That being said, not all blueback charts are literally backed with blue paper. The earliest known blueback charts include a 1760 chart issued by Mount and Page and a 1787 chart issued by Robert Sayer.The tradition took off in the early 19th century, when British publishers like John Hamilton Moore, Robert Blachford, James Imray, William Heather, John William Norie, Charles Wilson, David Steel, R. H. Laurie, and John Hobbs, among others, rose to dominate the chart trade. Bluebacks became so popular that the convention was embraced by chartmakers outside of England, including Americans Edmund March Blunt and George Eldridge, as well as Scandinavian, French, German, Russian, and Spanish chartmakers. Blueback charts remained popular until the late 19th century when government-subsidized organizations like the British Admiralty Hydrographic Office and the United States Coast Survey began issuing their own superior charts on high-quality paper that did not require reinforcement.
Publication History and Census
This chart was drawn by John Stratton Hobbs and published by Charles Wilson (inheritor of J. W. Norie and Wilson) in 1860. It is ultimately based on Norie's 1827 'A chart of the Bay of Biscay, with various additions and improvements from the surveys of Tofino, Mechain, and others.' Hobbs has included numerous additions, including many of the insets. The present edition of the chart is not recorded in the OCLC, which only notes an 1854 edition at the British Library (the 1854 publication date is retained at the bottom here). At least one other edition exists under Hobbs' name, dated 1884, which is equally rare.CartographerS
John Stratton Hobbs (January 1, 1813 - December 19, 1874) was a British engraver, hydrographer, chart maker, and blueback publisher active in England in the mid-19th century. Hobbs was born in London, the son of William Henry Hobbs, a ship broker of Globe Street, St. George in the East. Much of his work is associated with the firms of John William Norie (1774 - 1843) and Charles Wilson (1807 - 1882). Hobbs compiled charts and engraved for Norie until his death in 1843, when he became head of the hydrographic department of the successor firm, Noire and Wilson. He was elected to the Royal Geographical Society 9 November 1846. More by this mapmaker...
John William Norie (June 3, 1772 - December 24, 1843) was a British teacher of navigation, hydrographer, chart maker, and publisher of maritime manuals active in London, England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Norie was born in Wapping, London, an area long associated with the maritime sciences. Norie's career as a chart maker commenced under the tutelage of William Heather, a prominent purveyor and publisher of nautical charts, pilot books, and navigational tools who took over the firm of Mount and Page in 1765. Heather and Norie were likely acquainted through John Hamilton Moore, another important chart maker with whom both seem to have been associated early in their careers. Heather hired Norie to teach basic navigation at his shop at 157 Leadenhall Street. Under Heather Norie also distinguished himself as a draftsman, completing many of the early charts associated with the Heather firm. When Heather died in 1812 John Norie partnered with George Wilson, a moneyed 'man about town' with little experience in the maritime trades, to acquire the map and chart business at 9500 British Pounds. It proved a good deal for Norie, who retained all copyright privileges and drew 1/4 quarter share of business profits, as well an impressive quarterly salary and, for doing all of the work, 1/3rd of Wilson's share. The firm, referred to as the 'Naval Warehouse' quickly acquired a reputation for quality navigational materials and became a favorite of merchant seamen. It was even referenced in Charles Dickens' classic novel Dombey and Son. In 1819, Norie and Wilson acquired the failing chart business of David Steel, which significantly increased the size, though not quality, of their chart catalogue. With the rise of the British Admiralty and its own maritime chart productions, the business of "Chart Purveyor" in London dramatically changed. Admiralty charts and pilot books, designed for military use, were offered through established intermediaries, like Norie, at bargain prices. Most chart makers of the period found it profitable to use the highly technical Admiralty charts to update their own more decorative vernacular charts. For a brief time this practice proved exceptionally profitable but eventually began to draw criticism. Nonetheless, Norie retired to Edinburgh in 1840 and died a wealthy man in 1843. In 1840 the business passed to a nephew of George Wilson, Charles Wilson, who renamed the firm "Norie & Wilson". William Heather Norie, J. W. Norie's own son, produced few charts, instead pursuing a career in the legal field. Norie & Wilson merged with James Imray's prosperous chart business in 1899, becoming Imray, Laurie, Norie & Wilson, a profitable concern that remains active in the maritime charting industry. Learn More...
Charles Wilson (1807 - May 16, 1882) was a British-Indian publisher of nautical charts and maps based in London, England. Born in Lucknow, India, Wilson was the son Lieutenant-Colonel William Wilson and his wife Hoosainee Begum, an Indian princess, who was the daughter of the Nizam of Ashrafabad. Wilson was educated in England and worked in the wine trade before joining the Norie firm in 1838. Norie had already partnered with another Wilson, George, who was a nephew to Charles. When Norie retired in 1840, Charles Wilson took over the firm publishing as 'Charles Wilson (Late J.W. Noire and Wilson)'. He married Jane Arabella Bingle on July 1, 1846. Wilson died in 1882 passing the firm on to his sons, George and William Wilson. The brothers merged the firm with that of J. Imray and Sons in 1899 and, as Imray, Laurie, Norie and Wilson Ltd., they continue to publish to the present day. Learn More...
Condition
Average. Two large closed tears, reinforced on verso, extending from right center about 12 inches into the page. Some discolorations, toning, stains. Other minor edge repairs and stabilizations.
References
OCLC 556614371 (1854 ed.).