1886 Imray Blueback Nautical Map of Argentina, Chile, Antarctica

A massive 1886 Imray nautical map illustrating the coasts of southern South America, including Argentina, Chile, the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Tierra del Fuego, and the northernmost parts of Antarctica. The map was designed for mariners navigating the treacherous waters of Drake's Passage south of Cape Horn - or navigating to the South Shetlands.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces the southern parts of South America, from Valparaiso, Chile, and Uruguay, south to include Cape Horn, Drake's Passage, the South Shetland Islands, the Falklands (Malvinas), and tenuously mapped parts of Antarctica. It includes insets of Valdivia, Ancud, Stanley Harbour, and the Strait of Le Maire. Sounding south of Cape Horn are notably sparce and an annotation makes clear these are dangerous seas

As the coast included within its limits, especially that south of Magellan strait as far as cape Horn and thence westward and northward, as far as lat. 42°S., is still very imperfectly known, shipmasters should avoid making too free with it. In that part it is nearly everywhere extremely wild and desolate, and should be approached only with the greatest possible caution. Kelp abounds, and generally indicates proximity of rocks dangerous to navigation.

One wonders at the extent of coverage, embracing the waters off the horn of Antarctica (Palmer Land). This is likely a legacy of the sealing craze that took many entrepreneuring ships to the South Shetland Islands in the early to mid-19th century. It may also have been useful to navigators bold enough to brave the Antarctic Convergence and unfortunate enough to have to seek shelter on those harsh shores.

Ushuaia

A larger inset at the base of the map details the Beagle Channel and the Ushuaia (Ushiwia) Mission Station. Notes direct navigators in peril or shipwrecked on how to find and access the station, and which indigenous settlements are likely to be friendly - or the opposite. The station was established in the mid-19th century by British missionaries attempting to convert the local populace. It quicky began appearing on nautical charts as the only place of refuge within hundreds (if not thousands) of miles from Cape Horn. It enjoyed a population boom in the mid-1880s, when it was believed rich gold deposits were to be found in the surrounding country, but this hope proved false. Today Ushuaia has a population of some 82,600 people and is consider the world's southernmost city.

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 published by Imray and Sons in London in 1886, with the present example bearing updates to 1887 - likely referencing pastedowns, as this is a stamp, not a plate update. We have identified no other examples of the present state, and the map is not present in any edition in the OCLC, but the Greenwich Maritime Museum does have an 1888 example.