Chofré, Salvador (sold)
Salvador Chofré (fl. c. 1880 - 1898) was a Spanish lithographic printer who established himself in Manila, Philippines. Chofré was born in Madrid, but of French descent.. It is unclear when he emigrated to Manila, but in 1880 he imported a lithographic press from Germany and established, 'Tipo-Litografia de Chofré y Compañía,' becoming the first lithographer in the Philippines. He worked broadly, issuing maps, sheet music, children’s publications, and government documents. By 1898, he ran the largest private printing house in Manila. His workshops were on Alix Street (no Lagarda), and his shop was located on L'Escolta. One of Salvador's sons, Francisco Chofré Olea (1873 - 1896), died in 1896, in the Philippine War (1896 - 1898), and in grief, the operations were crippled. In 1902 it was acquired by Alfredo Chicote, who continued to print under the Chofré imprint. In 1927, it was acquired by Jesus Cacho, who renamed it Cacho Hermanos, under which name it remains active to this day. A further Salvador Chofré, possibly another son, attempted to immigrate to the United States in the 1920s, citing unrest in the Philippines. Salvador's dates are unknown.
Largest map of the Philippines Printed in the Philippines w/ Distinguished Provenance.
Carta General del Archipiélago Filipino.
sold
- Digital Map Information
- Suitable for large format printing
- File Size: 2002.83 MB
- File Type: ZIP / TIFF
- ICC color profile embedded
- Delivered instantly via download link
This is the only known example of Salvador Chofré's spectacular 1897 map of the Philippines - what must be considered the largest and most detailed Spanish map of the Philippines issued in the 19th century. The map was produced by Salvador Chofré, Manila's first lithographer at the height of his career, likely by government request in the face of the Philippine Revolution (1896 - 1898). The present example is likely a proof, as no other example or publishing history is known. What is known is that this example was acquired by American naval officer Henry Glass in 1898, when he participated in the invasion and surrender of Manila. The U.S. Navy reportedly reproduced it, very likely from this example, at a 50% reduced scale, although we have found no trace of said reproduction. The present map accompanied Glass when he returned to the United States, serving in San Francisco and attaining the rank of Rear Admiral, and was subsequently passed down through his family until we acquired it. (more details)