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1869 Murray Map of Antarctic / South Pole Explorations
SouthPolarRegions-murray-1869$112.50
Title
The South Polar Regions to Illustrate the Paper by Staff Commander J.E. Davis.
1869 (dated) 10.75 x 9.75 in (27.305 x 24.765 cm)
1869 (dated) 10.75 x 9.75 in (27.305 x 24.765 cm)
Description
This is an 1869 John Murray map of Antarctic / South Pole explorations between 1773 and 1845. Dashed lines traced in hand color follow the expeditions of Cook, Bellinghausen, Weddel, Biscoe, Kemp, D'Urville, Balleny, Wilkes, Ross, and Moore. Each explorer's course is labeled, many with the month and year, and an arrow illustrating the direction they were traveling. Very little detail on the Antarctic continent itself is present. Islands, points, 'lands' named by or for explorers, and notes concerning the concentrations of sea ice appear throughout. Parts of New Zealand and South America are included and provide some geographical context for the map's audience.
Publication History and Census
This map was created by John Murray to accompany an article by J.E. Davis entitled 'On Antarctic Discovery and its connection with the Transit of Venus in 1882'. The article was published in Volume 39 of The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London as a visual summary of the historical background provided in Davis's paper. Two examples are cataloged in OCLC and are part of the institutional collections at Princeton University and the National Library of Australia. Another example is part of the collection at Stanford University.CartographerS
John Murray I (1737 - 1793) founded the British publishing firm John Murray (1768 - present) in London. Born in Edinburgh, Murray served as an officer in the Royal Marines and built a list of authors that included Isaac D’Israeli and published the English Review. Murray the elder also was one of the founding sponsors of the London evening newspaper The Star in 1788. John Murray II (November 27 1778 - June 27, 1843) continued the family publishing business and developed it into one of the most important and influential publishing houses in Britain. The list of authors published by the firm grew to include Jane Austen, Sir Walter Scott, Washington Irving, George Crabbe, and Lord Byron under his tenure. Murray II also moved the business to 50 Albermarle Street in Mayfair, which became famous for Murray’s tradition of ‘four o’clock friends’, which was afternoon tea with his writers. John Murray III (1808 - 1892) continued to grow the business, and the firm published the first English translation of Goethe’s Theory of Colours, David Livingstone’s Missionary Travels and Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species during his tenure. Murray also published Herman Melville’s first two books. The firm began publishing Murray Handbooks in 1836, an ancestor of all modern travel guides. Sir John Murray IV (1851 - 1928) was publisher to Queen Victoria. Three successive Murray’s after Murray IV led the business until it was purchased by Hodder Headline in 2002, which was acquired by the French conglomerate Lagardère Group in 2004. Today, Murray is an imprint of Lagardère under the imprint Hachette UK. More by this mapmaker...
Royal Geographical Society (fl. 1830 - present) is a British Society established in 1830 to promote geographical science and exploration. Originally titled the "Geographical Society of London", the RGS received its royal charter from Queen Victoria in 1859 shortly after absorbing several similar but more regional societies including the African Association, the Raleigh Club and the Palestine Association. The RGS sponsored many of the most important and exciting voyages of exploration ever undertaken, including the exploration of Charles Darwin, David Livingstone, Robert Falcon Scott, Richard F. Burton, John Speke, George Hayward, H. M Stanley, Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmond Hillary. Today, the RGS remains a leading global sponsor of geographical and scientific studies. The Society is based in Lowther Lodge, South Kensington, London. Learn More...
Source
Davis, J.E., 'On Antarctic Discovery and its connection with the Transit of Venus in 1882', The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London, Vol. 39 (London: Royal Geographical Society) 1869.
Condition
Very good. Exhibits light wear along original fold lines. Left margin extended.
References
OCLC 225750583.