1888 Wilson Nautical Chart or Map of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands

A rare 1888 Charles Wilson nautical chart or maritime map of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. This is the largest and finest map specific map of Puerto Rico we have yet encountered.

A Closer Look

The chart covers the island in detail, offering both nautical and inland content, including topography, rivers, and political divisions. The focus is the waters around the Virgin Islands between Puerto Rico and Anegada, where treacherous reefs abound. The map offers detailed hundreds of soundings in fathoms as well as shading to indicate dangerous howls and banks. There are 10 inset map detailed harbor plans, including San Juan, Mayagüez, Guánica, Mona Island, Sombrero Island, Road Harbour, Gorda Sound, the southeast end of Culebra, Ponce, Christiansted, and Saint Thomas.

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 map was first issued in the 1870s. It bears a striking resemblance to a similar chart issued by Imray. This map is rare and we are aware of no other examples.