1854 Imray Blueback Chart or Map of Cuba

Description

1854 Imray Blueback Chart or Map of Cuba
WE SELL ONLY ORIGINAL ANTIQUE MAPS - NOT REPRODUCTIONS
Title:
[Cuba]
Description:
This stunning blueback nautical chart or map of Cuba, issued by James Imray in 1854, has all of the hallmarks of a working shipboard chart and a life at sea. Centered on Cuba, the map covers from Key West (Florida) to Grand Cayman, and from Cape Antonio (Cuba) to the Inagua Islands (Bahamas), coving all of Cuba, and parts of the southern Bahama Islands. Along the bottom of the map there are eight detail sub-maps, including, from left: Havana Harbor, Bahia Honda, Port Mariel, Port Guantanamo (Guantanamo Bay), Santiago de Cuba, Matanzas, Juaga or Zagua, and the Entrance of Puerto de la Nuevias. Some marks in pencil in the Old Bahama Channel or Santaren Channel (Bahamas) indicate navigation use. Soundings, particularly on the south coast of Cuba and throughout the Great Bahama Bank are in fathoms.
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 warp 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. 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 like 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
Like many blueback charts, this map is extremely rare with the OCLC listing no other examples. This map is owned jointly by Geographicus and Vetus Carta Maps.
Size:
Printed area measures 26.5 inches high by 40 inches wide.
Condition:
Good. Working nautical chart, exhibits pencil marks related to navigation, come cracking, overall toning, staining in corners. Original blue paper backing, brown linen edging.
Shipping:
Shipping rates are not negotiable. Items are shipped within three business days of receiving payment. We are happy to consolidate shipping where possible. The following shipping options are available:
1. FedEx Overnight (45 USD). USA Only. Signature Required.
2. FedEx Ground or Home Delivery (15 USD). USA Only. 1 - 10 days. If your address is a P.O. Box and cannot ship FedEx we will ship USPS Priority and, while we ship promptly, recent postal personnel cutbacks mean that delivery may take time. Signature Required.
3. FedEx International or DHL International EXPRESS (45 USD).
4. We can use your FedEx Account.
Customs:
International buyers are responsible for paying duty and taxes on delivery. DHL or FedEx will contact the buyer by telephone to arrange tax payment if it is levied. Duty varies by country and we cannot predict the amount you will be charged. Some countries are duty free, others are not. Typically, a customs duty and/or VAT tax will be assessed on all parcels to continental Europe. Sometimes duty or tax is due in China, but is seems very random. Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan have never assessed duty on a map we shipped. Maps shipped to the UK should be duty free as educational materials, but from time to time duty of 5% is assessed incorrectly by the UK customs agents.
Insurance:
All shipments are insured privately against loss and damage. All of our shipments require a signature for insurance purposes.
If you have any questions please feel free to email us through eBay.
Other Services
Conservation Framing:
Geographicus recommends basic conservation framing services for any antique paper. We do not offer this service.
Antique Map Restoration:
Geographicus can repair and restore your antique map. Services include deacidification cleaning flattening and backing.
BEWARE anyone attempting to contact you, from a different eBay account, claiming to represent Geographicus Antique Maps. My eBay handle is GeographicusMaps. If you are contacted by email by someone offering you my items, please call me directly to be certain you are not dealing with a con artist.
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