1847 Blachford Blueback Nautical Chart of Map of South Brazil

A very rare 1847 Robert Blachford blueback nautical chart or maritime map of the Coast of Brazil from the Rio de la Plata (Buenos Aires) to Rio de Janeiro. The chart includes four profile recognition views and seven inset charts including: Rio Janeiro; Harbor of Marambaia; Harbor of Port Frio; Harbor of Paranagua; Harbor of Santos; Harbor of St. Catharina; and Cananea. The cartography is attributed to Rear-Admiral Donald Campbell (1752 - 1819), briefly commandant of the Brazilian squadron of the Portuguese navy during the early 19th century. Campbell, although Scottish, was in the employ of the Portuguese Navy, as the British had interest in defending the Brazil trade against possible French attack during the transition of the Portuguese monarchy to the New World.

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 warp 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. 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 map was first issued in 1835. The present example is the 1847 reissue, distinguished by the 'Sold by Blachford and Imray, at their Navigation Warehouse' inscription under the R. and W. Blachford imprint. All examples are extremely rare with no examples cited in the OCLC and only one other known in private hands.