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1860 U.S. Coast Survey Chart or Map of Martha's Vineyard and Buzzard Bay
MarthasVineyard3-uscs-1860$600.00
Title
No. 13 From Muskeget Channel to Buzzard's Bay and Entrance to Vineyard Sound Mass.
1860 (dated) 38 x 29 in (96.52 x 73.66 cm) 1 : 80000
1860 (dated) 38 x 29 in (96.52 x 73.66 cm) 1 : 80000
Description
An impressive separately issue 1860 nautical chart of Martha's Vineyard and Buzzards Bay. This chart represents the U.S. Coast Survey's most advanced work in the vicinity of Martha's Vineyard. The map covers from New Bedford to Muskeget Island and from Wareham to Nomans Land Island. The chart is intricately detailed both inland and at sea. Individual buildings, topography, roads, fields, light houses, and topography are noted inland. At sea countless depth soundings as well as an intricate shading system illustrate oceanic depths as well as shoals and other hidden dangers. At both the top and bottom of the map there are finely engraved shore profiles which are doubtless of great use to the mariner in identifying coastal features. Here and there on the map textual annotations provides wealth of practical information for the mariner ranging from sailing directions to notes on Dangers, ranges, bearings, soundings, and light houses, to tidal and magnetic variation charts.
The Coast Survey began its work in the vicinity of Martha's Vineyard shortly after its founding in 1844. Subsequent work on hydrography and topography persisted throughout the 1840s and 1850s. This is one of the largest and finest examples of the charts culminating from the coast survey's work. It was completed under the superintendence of A. D. Bache.
The present chart was intended for use either as a stand alone or as the central part of a three chart set entitled Coast of the United States Monomoy and Nantucket Shoals to Block Island. Both titles appear on this chart.
It is of note that this separately issued chart is both larger and more detailed than a similar chart issued in the annual Superintendent's Report.
The Coast Survey began its work in the vicinity of Martha's Vineyard shortly after its founding in 1844. Subsequent work on hydrography and topography persisted throughout the 1840s and 1850s. This is one of the largest and finest examples of the charts culminating from the coast survey's work. It was completed under the superintendence of A. D. Bache.
The present chart was intended for use either as a stand alone or as the central part of a three chart set entitled Coast of the United States Monomoy and Nantucket Shoals to Block Island. Both titles appear on this chart.
It is of note that this separately issued chart is both larger and more detailed than a similar chart issued in the annual Superintendent's Report.
Cartographer
The Office of the Coast Survey (1807 - present) founded in 1807 by President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of Commerce Albert Gallatin, is the oldest scientific organization in the U.S. Federal Government. Jefferson created the "Survey of the Coast," as it was then called, in response to a need for accurate navigational charts of the new nation's coasts and harbors. The spirit of the Coast Survey was defined by its first two superintendents. The first superintendent of the Coast Survey was Swiss immigrant and West Point mathematics professor Ferdinand Hassler. Under the direction of Hassler, from 1816 to 1843, the ideological and scientific foundations for the Coast Survey were established. These included using the most advanced techniques and most sophisticated equipment as well as an unstinting attention to detail. Hassler devised a labor intensive triangulation system whereby the entire coast was divided into a series of enormous triangles. These were in turn subdivided into smaller triangulation units that were then individually surveyed. Employing this exacting technique on such a massive scale had never before been attempted. Consequently, Hassler and the Coast Survey under him developed a reputation for uncompromising dedication to the principles of accuracy and excellence. Unfortunately, despite being a masterful surveyor, Hassler was abrasive and politically unpopular, twice losing congressional funding for the Coast Survey. Nonetheless, Hassler led the Coast Survey until his death in 1843, at which time Alexander Dallas Bache, a great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin, took the helm. Bache was fully dedicated to the principles established by Hassler, but proved more politically astute and successfully lobbied Congress to liberally fund the endeavor. Under the leadership of A. D. Bache, the Coast Survey completed its most important work. Moreover, during his long tenure with the Coast Survey, from 1843 to 1865, Bache was a steadfast advocate of American science and navigation and in fact founded the American Academy of Sciences. Bache was succeeded by Benjamin Pierce who ran the Survey from 1867 to 1874. Pierce was in turn succeeded by Carlile Pollock Patterson who was Superintendent from 1874 to 1881. In 1878, under Patterson's superintendence, the U.S. Coast Survey was reorganized as the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (C & GS) to accommodate topographic as well as nautical surveys. Today the Coast Survey is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA as the National Geodetic Survey. More by this mapmaker...
Condition
Very good. Minor spot under left title. Else clean.