1853 Black Map of Ireland in Counties

Details Ireland's ever-expanding railroad network.

This is an 1853 Adam and Charles Black map of Ireland. Depicting all of Ireland divided by county, from Donegal to Cork, various towns, cities, railways, rivers, mountains and several other topographical details are noted with relief rendered by hachure. When compared with earlier editions of Black's map of Ireland, the evolution of the railway network becomes immediately apparent. In the north, for example, the line between N.T. Limavady and Omagh is significantly longer, even when compared with the edition published two years earlier. In that same 1851 edition, the line across central Ireland connecting Galway and Dublin does not appear.

19th century Irish history

After the Norman Invasion the old provincial structure was supplemented with modern system of counties – even so the old provinces are still referenced today. In 1801, the island of Ireland became part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Though Britain flourished during this period, Ireland suffered a series of famines, the worst one being the Great Irish Famine, which lasted from 1845 – 1849 and killed about a million people. As a result, Ireland experienced a widespread exodus – mostly to the United States. By the end of the 19th century, almost 50% of immigrants into the United States were from Ireland.

Publication History

This map was engraved by Sidney Hall and for publication the 1853 edition of Black's General Atlas of the World.

Cartographers

Charles and Adam Black (fl. 1807 - present) were map and book publishers based in Edinburgh. Charles and his uncle, Adam, both of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded their publishing firm in 1807. They published a series of maps and atlases throughout the 19th century. In addition to an array of atlases, the Black firm is known for their editions of the Encyclopedia Britannica (1817 - 1826) and the first publishing of Sir Walter Scott's novels in 1854. In 1889 the A. & C. Black publishing house moved to London where it remains in operation to this day.   Further Details...

Sidney Hall (1788 - 1831) was an English engraver and map publisher active in London during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His earliest imprints, dating to about 1814, suggest a partnership with Michael Thomson, another prominent English map engraver. Hall engraved for most of the prominent London map publishers of his day, including Aaron Arrowsmith, William Faden, William Harwood, and John Thomson, among others. Hall is credited as being one of the earliest adopters of steel plate engraving, a technique that allowed for finer detail and larger print runs due to the exceptional hardness of the medium. Upon his early death - he was only in his 40s - Hall's business was inherited by his wife, Selina Hall, who continued to publish under the imprint, "S. Hall", presumably for continuity. The business eventually passed to Sidney and Selina's nephew Edward Weller, who became extremely prominent in his own right.   Further Details...

Source

Black, A. and C., Black's General Atlas (Edinburgh), 1853.    

Condition

Good. Even overall toning. Margin centerfold separations professionally repaired on verso. Blank on verso.

References

Rumsey 2305.021 (1854 edition). Philips (atlases) 4334.