1873 British Admiralty Nautical Map of the South China Sea: Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam

This is an exceptional 1867 / 1873 British Admiralty map of the South China Sea, including Hong Kong and the Philippines, representing some of the world's most disputed waters.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from the Vietnamese coast and Tong-King Gulf east to the western Philippines, and from the Pearl River Delta, as far as Guangzhou (Canton) and Southern Taiwan, to Mindoro and northern Palawan. The map illustrates some of the world's most trafficked and disputed seas, including primary nautical routes to Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, Taiwan, and Manila.

There are inset maps detailing Macao (1:64856) and Hong Kong (1:125000). The Macao map is based on the 1866 surveys of W. A. Read. The Hong Kong map follows the 1841 Belcher chart, with updates in sounding and around Hong Kong city (Victoria).

This is a sailed nautical chart with copious pencil annotations reflecting several c. 1890s voyages between New York, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Cardiff.

Disputed Seas

This part of the South China Sea is central to geopolitical tension focused on territorial disputes over various atolls, islets, and reefs. Central to these disputes are the Paracel Islands (at center) and the Spratley Islands (south of this map), both of which are subject to overlapping territorial claims by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei. These claims are driven by strategic military interests, potential natural resources, and crucial shipping lanes. The situation is further complicated by the construction of artificial islands and military installations, particularly by China. These have led to international condemnation and increased military presence from other nations, including the United States, underscoring the area's status as a flashpoint in regional and global politics.

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 to cut costs. That being said, not all blueback charts are literally backed with blue paper, some are unbacked or backed with linen. Moreover, as blueback charts which were typically composed of multiple sheets, they were designed in a modular fashion, so that multiple charts could be joined to create truly massive custom maps suited for specific voyages. 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 published by the British Admiralty in 1867. It was engraved by the London firm of J. and C. Walker. The present example exhibits updates to about 1873. We see one example in OCLC, but no history of the present full chart on the market.