1860 U.S. Coast Survey Map of Block Island, Buzzard Bay, Nantucket and Marthas Vineyard

The most desirable and thorough 19th century Coast Survey chart of the Martha's Vineyard, Nantuckt, Buzzard Bay corridor.

A scarce and extraordinary set of three large format 1860 nautical charts covering from Block Island and Buzzard Bay eastward to include all of Martha's Vineyard (Marthas Vineyard) and Nantucket. This set consists of three separate maps which can be joined into a single sheet or framed separately to dramatic effect.

From the left, the westernmost map (No. 14) in the series depicts the coast from Rhode Island from Block Island to the entrance to Buzzard Bay, Massachusetts. It features the town of Newport and is detailed to the level of individual buildings and roads. Innumerable depth soundings are presented throughout. Textual annotation in the upper quadrant offers sailing instructions as well as notations on light houses, magnetic variations, tides, and currents. The title of chart is set the upper right quadrant. The title for the three map series is set in the upper left quadrant.

The central map (no. 13), depicts Buzzard Bay and the island of Martha's Vineyard in full. It includes New Bedford and Edgartown and is detailed to the level of individual buildings and roads. Innumerable depth soundings are presented throughout and many of the undersea shoals in the area are identified. Textual annotation in the lower half of the map offers sailing instructions and notes on ranges and bearings. Additional annotation in the upper quadrants includes notations on light houses, magnetic variations, tides, and currents. The title of chart is set in the upper right quadrant. The title for the three map series appears in the upper left quadrant.

The eastern map (no. 12) covers the island of Nantucket and parts of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Like its partner maps, this chart is detailed to the level of individual buildings and roads. Innumerable depth soundings are presented throughout and many of the undersea shoals in the area are identified. The upper right quadrant feature detailed sailing instructions and notes on magnetic variations, light houses, and other dangers. The title of this chart is set in the upper right quadrant. The title for the three map series appears in the upper left quadrant.

The triangulation and topography for this map set was accomplished by a team under the supervision of A.D. Bache, director of the U.S. Coast Survey. It was engraved by A. Hoen and Co. of Baltimore for the 1860 edition of the Surveyor General's Report …

Cartographers

The Office of the Coast Survey (1807 - present), founded in 1807 by President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin, is the oldest scientific organization in the U.S. Federal Government. Jefferson created the "Survey of the Coast," as it was then called, to produce accurate navigational charts of the new nation's coasts and harbors. The first two superintendents defined the spirit of the Coast Survey. The Coast Survey's first superintendent was Swiss immigrant and West Point mathematics professor Ferdinand Hassler. Under Hassler's direction, from 1816 to 1843, the Coast Survey established its ideological and scientific foundations. These included the use of the most advanced techniques and most sophisticated equipment, along with unstinting attention to detail. Hassler devised a labor-intensive triangulation system that divided the entire coast into a series of enormous triangles. These were then subdivided into smaller triangulation units, which were individually surveyed. No one had ever attempted this exacting technique on such a massive scale. As a result, Hassler and the Coast Survey under his leadership earned a reputation for uncompromising dedication to accuracy and excellence. Unfortunately, despite being a masterful surveyor, Hassler was abrasive and politically unpopular, and Congress cut funding for the Coast Survey twice. Nonetheless, Hassler led the Coast Survey until his death in 1843, when Alexander Dallas Bache, Benjamin Franklin's great-grandson, took the helm. Bache was fully dedicated to the principles established by Hassler, but proved more politically astute and successfully lobbied Congress to fund the endeavor generously. Under A. D. Bache's leadership, the Coast Survey completed its most important work. During his long tenure with the Coast Survey, from 1843 to 1865, Bache steadfastly advocated American science and navigation and, in fact, founded the American Academy of Sciences. Benjamin Pierce succeeded Bache and ran the Survey from 1867 to 1874. Pierce was succeeded by Carlile Pollock Patterson, Superintendent from 1874 to 1881. In 1878, under Patterson's superintendence, the U.S. Coast Survey was reorganized as the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) to accommodate both topographic and nautical surveys. Today, the Coast Survey is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as the National Geodetic Survey.   Further Details...

August Hoen and Company (fl. c. 1840 - 1981) was a Baltimore based engraving and lithography firm active in the middle part of the 19th century. A. Hoen and Co. was originally founded by Edward Weber under the name 'E. Weber and Company.' Weber died in the early 1850s and his company was taken over by German immigrant August Hoen (18?? - 1886) and his brothers, Henry and Ernest Hoen. As general interest lithographers, the Hoen firm's corpus includes posters, cigar boxes, sheet music covers, and posters as well as maps. They are best known for their pioneering multi-color lithographic techniques. After the death of August Hoen, the business passed on to his son, Albert Hoen. Another son, Earnest A. Hoen, moved to Richmond, Virginia and opened a branch of the firm there where he was granted a charter to produce Civil War era Confederate Currency. Their contributions to the cartographic field are generally in association with engraving and printing work done for Jacob Monk and the U.S. Geological Survey. The Hoen family maintained an active interest in the firm for the next 100 years or so until it finally filed for bankruptcy in 1981.   Further Details...

Source

Bache, A. D., Report of the Superintendant of the U.S. Coast Survey, (Washington) 1860.    

Condition

Very good condition. Professionally backed with japanese paper. Minor discoloration on original folds. Blank on verso. Three separate charts.

References

Office of the U.S. Coast Survey Historical Map and Chart Project, #12_13_14-00-1860.