1908 British War Office Map of Central America

A fascinating chromolithograph map of Central America issued jointly by the British War Office Topographical Section and the British Ordnance. The map emerged during the peak of global conversation about an interoceanic canal or railroad route to connect the Caribbean Sea, and thus the Atlantic, with the Pacific.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces Central America from Guatemala and British Honduras to western Panama, encompassing Guatemala, British Honduras (Belize), El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Topography is meticulously rendered with shading. The map is particularly impressive for its delineation of the region's complex inland river systems, as well as annotations throughout designating 'E.S.N' or 'E.C.N', meaning 'End Steam Navigation' or 'End Canoe Navigation' respectively. The map also identifies roads, extent and planned railroads, telegraph offices, and the 'Proposed Line of [an] Intercontinental Railway. The general lines of submarine telegraph cables in the Pacific are also noted.

The Interoceanic Route

Central America was of great interest in the early 20th century, when the need for a practical interoceanic connection dominated the global conversation. When this map was issued, there was only one railroad route connecting the Caribbean to the Pacific - the Puerto Barrios-Istapa railroad through Guatemala. Alternate routes are noted on this map, all of which were then in the planning or construction phase, including a railroad passage through Honduras, a proposed canal through Nicaragua, a nearly complete railroad route through Costa Rica, and of course, the Panama Canal Route (not on map). The meticulous notes on river navigation, even by canoe, appearing throughout, underscore the extent to which this area was then being meticulously mapped as well as the rigors inherent in exploring the mountainous jungles.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominate method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This map was first published by the British War Office (Topographical Section, General Staff) in 1907. The present example was updated and issued a year later in 1908 by the Ordnance Survey Office, London. It bears a store paste-down stamp from the Stanford Geographical Establishment in London, an authorized reseller. The map is rare. The OCLC notes just 5 examples located in institutions: The British Library, The Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, McGill University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Cambridge.