1896 Jörgensen Map of British Columbia, Canada

This is Gotfred Jörgensen's rare 1895 wall map of British Columbia, the 3rd official map of the province and the best to appear in the 19th century. Jörgensen's map represents a significant advancement over earlier regional maps, offering both greater size and more up-to-date detail. Thomas Kains, Surveyor General of British Columbia, rightly described 'the most perfect map of British Columbia which has thus far been placed before the Public.' The map is significant, emerging as British Columbia, newly connected via railroads and steamship lines, was negotiating its place, both within Canada and globally.

A Closer Look

This is an expansive map covering British Columbia as well as the surrounding territory. Coverage extends along the Pacific Seaboard from Yakutat Bay to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and inland to Alberta and Fort Mcleod. A key in the lower left identifies land recording offices, mining offices, post offices, telegraph lines, American Indian villages, mining camps and settlements, missions, Hudson Bay Company posts, railroads, wagon roads, and other trails. Topography is rendered with shading. The map was produced under the aegis of Thomas Kains' (1850 - 1901), who as Surveyor General of British Columbia, redefined regional mapping. Whereas the grid and plat system worked well to map the flat plains to the east, Kains advocated for a more sophisticated trigonometrical survey for the mountainous British Columba. He sponsored first the James Brownlee map (1893) and, as here, the much-improved Jörgensen map. Jörgensen, a Civil Engineer with the Lands and Works Office, compiled the map from existing and newly commissioned surveys, producing a manuscript base map of some 7 x 5.5 feet.

A Significant Advance

M. Layland, in his The Land of Heart's Delight: Early Maps and Charts of Vancouver Island, page 132, describes the advances Jörgensen made over the predecessor James Brownlee map (1893),

The Map recorded significant advances over its predecessor - Mohun's Map of 1880 and Brownlee's of 1893 - in geographical knowledge of both BC and Vancouver Island. It showed the findings of the reconnaissance explorations of Mohun, Fray, and Gray in the Sayward and Rupert Districts, and Ralph's detail along the western boundary of the E and N grant. As well as the track of the E and N, it showed the line of the newly opened Victoria and Sidney Railway (nicknamed 'The Cordwood Limited'). Some names in the center of Saanich Peninsula - Garnham, Hea, Slugget, Young, Targoose, and Harar - had symbols for post offices, but most are now forgotten. - Layland, M., The land of Heart's Delight: Early Maps and Charts of Vancouver Island, page 132.

Historial Context

This map emerged as British Columbia experienced significant economic and demographic transformation, driven by the expansion of resource industries and the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The railway, finished in 1885, connected the province to eastern Canada and international markets, encouraging migration and settlement, especially in the interior. Gold, coal, timber, and fisheries fueled regional growth, while cities like Vancouver developed into commercial hubs. The Klondike Gold Rush (1896 - 1899), although centered in the Yukon, further stimulated the economy as prospectors passed through British Columbia's ports and outfitting towns. Politically, the province was still negotiating its role within the Canadian Confederation, with debates over Indigenous land rights, immigration (especially concerning Chinese exclusion), and provincial autonomy shaping the decade's social and legislative landscape.

Publication History and Census

This map was compiled by Gotfred Jörgensen under the direction of George B. Martin, then the Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works for British Columbia. It was printed in three color lithographs by the Sabiston Company of Montreal and published in 1895. The map was issued both as a wall map and, as here, dissected and mounted on linen. The present example bears the pastedown of Stanford's Map Establishment, so it is likely that firm that dissected and mounted it. It is extremely rare. We note just two private sales in the last 30 years. Institutionally, we locate examples in the Bancroft Library, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver Public Library, and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.