1851 Tallis / Rapkin Map of Asia

Asia in the era of imperial competition.

This is a rare and beautifully illustrated 1851 map of Asia by John Rapkin that appeared in Tallis's Illustrated Atlas and Modern History of the World. It shows Asia on the eve of rapid European imperial expansion, which would soon bring much of the territory shown here under direct or indirect control.

A Closer Look at the Map

This map follows a conventional definition of Asia as the lands east of the Ural Mountains, the Bosporus, and the Suez. Given the popularity of Tallis's Atlas, it both contributed to and reflected the growing familiarization of the British public with far distant lands.

At the same time, it shows that nomenclature, spelling, and the exact geography of some areas was still a work in progress, in part as a result of territorial changes at the frontiers of empires. For instance, Ladakh (Ladak) is shown as part of the lands of the Qing (Chinese Empire), perhaps because it had been invaded and partially subordinated by Tibet in the 17th century, but by the time this map was made it had been annexed by the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir and then fallen under British suzerainty.

European imperial expansion in the following decades would incorporate much of the territory on this map. The lands marked as 'Independent Tartary' here would all be conquered by the Russian Empire by the end of the century, while the ailing Qing Dynasty would attempt to more firmly control their portion of Central Asia after reconquering it from rebels in the 1870s and the establishment of Xinjiang Province in 1884.

The northern part of Manchuria is called Saghalien Oula, a Manchu term that was likely a holdover from the influential 18th century map of China by Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville. Between 1858 and 1860, much of this territory would be forcibly ceded to the Russian Empire in the Amur Annexation (Treaty of Aigun and Convention of Beijing).

As was standard for the time, the lands of the Nguyen Dynasty are referred to as Cochin China while the soon-to-be-established (1862) French territory of that name only included the southernmost portion of present-day Vietnam.

Illustrated vignettes surround the map, including a depiction of Petra in present-day Jordan, Tartars (a generic term for Central Asians and nomads in other nearby regions) and Russian peasants at top-left, walruses at top-center, and sun-birds of India and the Philippine Islands at right.

Publication History and Census

This map was part of Tallis's Illustrated Atlas and Modern History of the World and was most likely published in 1851. It was drawn and engraved by John Rapkin and the vignette illustrations were drawn by J. Marchant and engraved by J.B. Allen. It is held by a number of libraries in North America, Great Britain, and in former territories of the British Empire (Australia, Singapore).

Cartographers

John Rapkin (July 18, 1813 - June 20, 1899) was an English mapmaker and engraver. Born in Southwark, Rapkin was the son of George Rapkin, a shoemaker, and his wife Elizabeth Harfy. Rapkin and his brother Richard both became engravers and his other brother, William Harfy Rapkin, became a copperplate printer. Rapkin produced works for James Wyld and John Tallis, including The United States and the relative position of Oregon and Texas for Wyld around 1845, and a series of eighty maps for Tallis that became 'Tallis's illustrated atlas, and modern history of the world' in 1851. Rapkin married Frances Wilmot Rudell on January 4, 1837, with whom he had at least eight children, some of whom became engravers, including his sons John Benjamin Rapkin (1837 - 1914), Alfred Thomas Rapkin (1841 - 1905), Joseph Clarke Rapkin (1846? - 1912), and Frederick William Rapkin (1859 - 1945). Rapkin operated under the imprint 'John Rapkin and Sons from 1867 until 1883, and was operating as 'John Rapkin and Sons' by 1887. Rapkin died in 1899 at the age of 85 soon after the death of his wife of over sixty years.   Further Details...

John Tallis (November 7, 1817 - June 3, 1876) was an English map publisher and bookseller. Born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, he worked in his father's Birmingham agency from 1836 to 1842. Around 1838, Tallis published a collection of London Street Views and entered into a partnership with his brother Frederick Tallis from 1842 to 1849. Tallis and Company also published the Illustrated Atlas of the World (1849). Also in 1849, Tallis traveled to New York City, where he established agencies in 6 American cities. After returning from New York, Tallis paid his brother £10,000 for his share of the business and subsequently operated as John Tallis and Company until 1854. By 1853, John Tallis and Company had agencies in 26 cities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada and employed over 500 people. On February 24, 1854, Tallis brought on a new partner, Ephraim Tipton Brain (1791 - 1876), forming the London Printing and Publishing Company. After a series of setbacks, however, Tallis had to sell his estate and by 1861 was declared bankrupt. Friends and former employees kept him afloat, but none of his 'various ambitious projects' proved lucrative. Tallis married Jane Ball on December 6, 1836, in Birmingham, and they lived together until she died in 1862. Tallis remarried on June 27, 1863, to Mary Stephens, with whom he had two children.   Further Details...

John Tallis (November 7, 1817 - June 3, 1876) was an English map publisher and bookseller. Born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire, he worked in his father's Birmingham agency from 1836 to 1842. Around 1838, Tallis published a collection of London Street Views and entered into a partnership with his brother Frederick Tallis from 1842 to 1849. Tallis and Company also published the Illustrated Atlas of the World (1849). Also in 1849, Tallis traveled to New York City, where he established agencies in 6 American cities. After returning from New York, Tallis paid his brother £10,000 for his share of the business and subsequently operated as John Tallis and Company until 1854. By 1853, John Tallis and Company had agencies in 26 cities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada and employed over 500 people. On February 24, 1854, Tallis brought on a new partner, Ephraim Tipton Brain (1791 - 1876), forming the London Printing and Publishing Company. After a series of setbacks, however, Tallis had to sell his estate and by 1861 was declared bankrupt. Friends and former employees kept him afloat, but none of his 'various ambitious projects' proved lucrative. Tallis married Jane Ball on December 6, 1836, in Birmingham, and they lived together until she died in 1862. Tallis remarried on June 27, 1863, to Mary Stephens, with whom he had two children.   Further Details...

James Baylis Allen (1803 - 1876) was a British engraver who trained under his older brother, Josiah Allen, who was also an engraver, as well as the painters John Vincent Barber and Samuel Lines. Allen was especially known for his engravings of landscapes, producing a well-known series on the rivers of France and a number of other series dealing with British, Italian, and Greek landscapes, as well as battle scenes. Many of his engravings appeared in The Art Journal, the premier art journal in 19th century Britain.   Further Details...

J Marchant (fl. c. 1825 - 1869) was a British illustrator and cartographer whose most prominent work was in the variosu editions of Tallis's Illustrated Atlas and Modern History of the World.   Further Details...

Source

Tallis, J., The Illustrated Atlas, And Modern History Of The World Geographical, Political, Commercial and Statistical, (London and New York: Tallis) 1851.    

Condition

Very good. Original fold line visible at center.

References

Rumsey 0466.031. OCLC 50415429.