1884 Survey Map of Nigeria around Lagos - used for Berlin Conference

A unique discovery c. 1900 Ferro-Gallic map this is without a doubt the finest map of the Lagos, Nigeria region issued in the colonial era - probably made for Berlin Conference of 1884-85 (Congo Conference / West Africa Conference) which formally divided up west Africa among colonial powers. This colossal production showcases a stretch of the West African Coastline that runs from Cotonou, Benin to Lagos, Nigeria, as it appeared during the 1880s, when the region was contested between French and British colonial zones.

Coverage

The map showcases the Cotonou-Port Novo-Lagos corridor on the staggering scale of 1 mile to 1 Inch. The detail throughout is exceedingly impressive, identifying depth soundings in navigable waterways, rivers, and lagoons. Villages and larger settlements are illustrated by house and named, along with connecting roads and paths. Notes throughout describe the nature of the land and transportation routes. Captions expound the quality of the terrain, naming 'Dense Forests', 'Cultivated Lands', 'Swampy Lands', and more. Historical annotations references exploring expeditions and military campaigns. Even more recent events (contemporary to the map), such as the burning of Yokah by the 'Dahomians' are also noted. The various territories are labeled according to their traditional nomenclature, including the Whemi, Porto-Novo, Pocrah, and Egba.

Key locations include the 'Town of Lagos', which had been a British protectorate since 1851. Far to the west, 'Kotonu' (Cotonou), is shown to be under French control, from about 1868. The major trading center of Porto-Novo has several 'European Factories' but is not under the control any single colonial power. The areas between Porto Nova and Cotonou are here in dispute with Britain and France both asserting claims.

Berlin Conference of 1884-85 / Congo Conference / West Africa Conference

The 1884-85 Berlin Conference was a meeting of colonial powers in Berlin during the New Imperialism Period. The resultant 'General Act of the Berlin Conference' is considered to be the formalization of the 'Scramble for Africa', wherein much of Africa was partitioned between major European powers (with little regard to the claims and priorities of the indigenous peoples). The conference marked a major change in the European approach to Africa. Initially European powers treated African peoples much like Native Americans, establishing trading relationships and alliances with indigenous kingdoms. After the Berlin Conference, heightened colonial activity and the need to prove effective occupation lead to the subjugation of most indigenous control.

Effective Occupation at the Berlin Conference

Contemporary images of the Berlin Conference show dignitaries pointing to massive wall maps of Africa, but smaller maps, based on local surveys, were also produced in small numbers and distributed among the delegates. This is one such map. In order to claim territory, the delegates needed to prove 'effective occupation.' This means they needed to establish the existence of treaties with local powers, show that their flags were being flown (hence the identification of various flag on this map), or have active forts in the region. Accordingly, on this map, some of the boundaries marked, such as the 'Reported boundary between Katenu and Appa territory' and the 'Boundary between Pograh and Portonovo' were codified as the formal boundaries between French and British west African claims.

New Imperialism Period

New Imperialism characterizes a period of colonial expansion by European powers, the United States, and Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The period is marked by massive territorial expansion into Africa, Asia, and other areas. In the context of this map, the Berlin Conference led to direct British and French control of large parts of West Africa. By 1887, Britain had consolidated its control over all of Nigeria; with the territory being united into the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria in 1914. The French, whose territory appears on the left side of this map, militarily subjugated 'Dahomey' (Benin) by 1894, and officially codified it as a French colony in 1904.

Sources

The map is compiled from multiple sources, including French and British exploratory, trade, and missionary reports. Among the sources noted are the maps of Charles-Paul Brossard of Corbigny (1822-1900) of 1863; the maps of Thomas Tickel (District Commissioner of Badagry from 1865 to 1886) of 1877; R. Murray Rumsey's survey, and additions by Franklin Evans. A note suggests that an original manuscript of this chart must have existed in which French territories are shaded in yellow - that map is not known to have survived or may have been destroyed in the reproductive process.

Ferro-Gallic Print

Ferro-Gallic printing, also called 'Iron Gall Print' is a photoreproductive process developed in 1859 by Alphonse Louis Poitevin. The process became popular in the late 1880s when it was introduced commercially, particularly as it could be used to make fast copies of tracings and allowed for corrections to be made during the printing process. Moreover, copies could be made directly form originals without an intermediary negative process. Due to the chemicals used in this process, the background is never white, instead taking on a pale brown to lavender tint. Like most photoreproductive processes of the period, ferro-gallic printing was useful only for short run printing, usually of less than 5 copies, and not practical for mass production. Moreover, due to the photoreactive nature of the print, and the low-quality field papers generally used, ferro-gallic prints rarely survive more than 30 years or so, making the early examples extremely scarce. The ferro-gallic process is similar in appearance and often confused with the Diazo Print or Whiteprint process, which replaced it in popularity in the early 20th century.

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled and printed around 1884, likely for use at the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885. No other examples are known. A once in a lifetime opportunity.