1852 Coello / Morata Wall Map of the Philippines (Three Sheets)

A stunning 1852 Francisco Coello map of the Philippine Islands published on three sheets. This map is considered the first scientific topographical map of the Philippines and the most influential map of the Philippines to appear in the mid-19th century.

A Close Look at the Set

The first sheet covers the archipelago from northern Luzon to southern Mindoro, including all of Luzon and Mindoro, as well as parts of Samar, Masbate, and numerous smaller islands. In addition to the main map, there are 11 insets, including detailed maps of the City of Manila, Manila Bay, and Cavite and Bacoor Bay, among others. The second sheet illustrates the southern portions of the archipelago, including all of Samar, Palawan, Panay, Negros, Cebu, Leyte, and Mindanao. Smaller islands throughout the region appear as well and all are identified. Insets depict the ports of Cebu, Batan, Mandao, and Palapa. The third sheet is divided into two maps. The upper map focuses on the Batanes and Babuyan islands north of Luzon and the lower map illustrates islands south of Mindanao, including Borneo. Several insets highlight ports and other specific areas within the archipelago, while a relatively large inset situates the Philippines within the region. Text to the left and right of the map of the Batanes and Babuyan Islands provide information about the Philippines. The climate, religion, industry, and history are among the topics discussed.

A Seminal Piece

This map is the culmination of nearly a century of Spanish survey work in the Philippines. Coello, and his partner, the geographer Antonio Morata, carefully assembled the various surveys into this, a composite map of the region based exclusively on scientific survey work. The completed map was unprecedented in size and detail and the foundation for all subsequent mapping of the region until the end of the19th century. It was used in treaty negotiations by both sides for both the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). In addition, it provides the essential cartographic data for several important subsequent maps, including Anselmo Ollero’s Carta Itineraria de la Isla de Luzon (1882) and Ramon Prats’ Islas Filipinas (1887).

Publication History and Census

This map was issued as part of Coello's opus, the Atlas de España y sus posesiones de Ultramar. The atlas, conceived jointly by Coello and Morata and issued in parts from about 1848 onwards, was a wildly ambitions project consisting of large format separately issued maps of all parts of Spain and her few remaining overseas possessions. Due to Coello's death and the disruption of the Spanish American War, the Atlas was never completed. Nonetheless, by the time of Coello's death in 1898, some forty-six parts were published. This map of the Philippines is one of the first maps Coello issued for the atlas, first appearing in 1849, just one year into the production of the ambitious Atlas de España. We note eight examples of the complete set of three sheets cataloged in OCLC. These are found in the collections at Princeton University, Yale University, Cornell University, the University of Michigan, the Newberry Library, Stanford University, the Biblioteca AECID, and the National Library of Australia.