1828 / 1846 Norie Blueback Chart of the West Coast of Mexico and Central America

This is J. W. Norie's 1828 large-format nautical chart of the west coast of Mexico and Central America, corrected to 1846. The map was updated and republished to capitalize on increased activity along this strategic coastline during the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848). Being outside of U.S. waters, naval commanders resorted to existing and updated commercial charts, like this one, to control the coast.

A Closer Look

The map covers from the Gulf of California to Cabo Blanco in Costa Rica. Soundings are provided from Cabo Corrientes north to the Gulf of California and periodically at other points. Coastal settlements, landmarks (especially mountains), river estuaries, ports, points, banks, islands, and anchorages are marked throughout. The voyages of late 18th century Spanish and British explorers are tracked, as is the road from Acapulco to Mexico City, still an important route even well after the heyday of the Spanish Galleon Trade (and by this time even after Mexican independence).

Seven inset maps surround the main map, displaying soundings, hazards, anchorages, shoals, and other detailed navigational information. The inset maps cover Guaymas, Mazatlán, Port San Blas, the Port of Acapulco, Cabo Maldonado, and (El) Realejo. At the bottom-left is a large inset of almost the entire Gulf of California. Five profiles of mountains and volcanoes along the coast appear below the insets at the top-right.

Historical Context: Mexican-American War

In 1846, western Mexico was indirectly impacted by the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, which began in May of that year following disputes over the annexation of Texas. Although the principal military confrontations occurred in northern and central Mexico, the western states - such as Jalisco, Michoacán, Colima, Sinaloa, and Sonora - played important strategic and logistical roles. The U.S. Navy, under Commodore John D. Sloat and later Robert F. Stockton, began operations along Mexico's Pacific coastline. In July 1846, U.S. forces occupied Monterey, California, then part of Mexican territory. This raised fears of further incursions into Mexico's Pacific ports, such as Mazatlán, San Blas, and Manzanillo. Being outside of U.S. waters, thus not a subject of U.S. coastal mapping programs, naval commanders were forced to rely on commercial charts, as here, for navigation.

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, such as 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 chart was prepared by John William Norie in 1828 and is here 'corrected to 1846.' In any state, the chart is quite rare and is only noted in institutional collections at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and the Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil.