Sea Charts

[Cap'n Black Jack]

I have been looking into reproducing authentic navigation sea charts. I have downloaded hundreds of maps off the web but I cannot find any that are complete maps, or they are too small to read the print, or there is some other issue with them. With all the pirate related books I have you would think I could find something of use there, but I cannot. The only place I haven't checked is the local Historical Society Library because they are only opened a few days a week, when I am at work.

I have two questions;

1. Has anyone here ever reproduced a sea chart before?

2. Does anyone have any suggestions to where can I find good quality, large format sea charts (circa 1700) that I can reproduce?

[RIPP Tar]

Ahoy Captain,

Here is a resource for you : http://www.thehistor...ct_detail&p=114 tons of maps at a fair price - locally look at Gaspee Days website they have an awesome map of Newport harbor that is in large format another source is Atlas Maior http://www.amazon.co...u/dp/3822831255 a bit pricey but I've found copies at books on the square at half the price.

Cheers Tar

[Silver]

are you going to reproduce the charts to sell?

[Cap'n Black Jack]

Thank you Mr. Tar! Hope all is well with you.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Cap'n Black Jack

[Cap'n Black Jack]

I just might sell them, that is if they are up to my standards. I'm going to try a few and see where it takes me. I'll keep you informed.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Cap'n Black Jack

[RIPP Tar]

Aye All Is Well Sir

Just a note to anyone interested - Captain Jack's Standards are very high so if he does make these available you may wish to contact him.

[Silver]

I just might sell them, that is if they are up to my standards. I'm going to try a few and see where it takes me. I'll keep you informed.

how is your search for charts coming along? have you tried ebay?

[PoD]

I've been trying to find out what GAOP sea charts were printed on for ages. Anyone got any ideas?

[RIPP Tar]

I've been trying to find out what GAOP sea charts were printed on for ages. Anyone got any ideas?

I'm betting anything they had ready on hand - obviously some were printed on paper but I'll bet a lot was done on canvas and such - i did one on canvas no to long ago, i would post pictures but they were greeted by me mate with a lot of laughter followed by, "Oh wait your serious..." I would wait to see what Capt. Jack Black comes up with.

[Cap'n Black Jack]

According to my sources in London, and the British Library in London, most maps and charts were being printed on linen rag paper. That is how I plan to do mine. Although it might be cotton rag because it is more readily available.

From Antique Maps – Recognising the difference between old and modern colouring, By Duncker, Dieter

"The Colours Will Tell

Maps come in all shapes, forms, sizes, coloured and uncoloured. Maps have been printed on paper, linen, cotton and other materials. With this article I will focus primarily on maps printed on paper.

History of map colouring

Prior to the invention of the technique of printing through lithography in the 19th century, maps were either printed as a woodblock, engraving or etching. With the exception of some rare woodblock prints which were printed in black and red, all were printed with black ink on [off-]white paper."

[Silver]

how is the reproduction sea charts coming along. i would like to have a decent chart of the atlantic showing the east coast of america, caribbean and west coast of africa. another showing just the caribbean and one more just the east coast of america. when i demo navigation these are the area i focus on. i plan later on, when i get a major project done of doing those three by hand, but if i could come by a decent repo it would be worth the coin.

[Cap'n Black Jack]

I have been doing a lot of research and sketches. Right now I am back in school, which is taking up a lot of my time and hunting season is coming. I should have a final done by the end of the year. I am going to be hand painting them. I'll post something here when i have it done.

[Silver]

how about an unpaited print, i would want something that would hold up to damp weather.

[BlaggardMike]

According to my sources in London, and the British Library in London, most maps and charts were being printed on linen rag paper. That is how I plan to do mine. Although it might be cotton rag because it is more readily available.

From Antique Maps – Recognising the difference between old and modern colouring, By Duncker, Dieter

"The Colours Will Tell

Maps come in all shapes, forms, sizes, coloured and uncoloured. Maps have been printed on paper, linen, cotton and other materials. With this article I will focus primarily on maps printed on paper.

History of map colouring

Prior to the invention of the technique of printing through lithography in the 19th century, maps were either printed as a woodblock, engraving or etching. With the exception of some rare woodblock prints which were printed in black and red, all were printed with black ink on [off-]white paper."

That is correct until 1690 brown linen rags were the source of of paper. In 1690 white hemp paper was first made in england.

Now there were many different techniques on getting the image on the rags.

The list goes

Woodcut, also called Woodblock. The map design is carved in relief along the grain of a block of soft wood. When the design is inked and pressed onto paper, it leaves an impression of itself. This is the oldest method for printing - it was used to impress designs on ceramics and textiles in ancient Egypt, Babylon and China. The first Woodcut maps appeared in Europe at the beginning of the fifteenth (15th) century, and it is still possible to buy examples for modest prices. Sebastian Munster was one of the great names producing woodcut maps in the middle of the sixteenth (16th) century. By the 18th century, wood cut technique was no longer being used.

Etching. The process of etching uses acid instead of a burin to engrave a metal printing plate. A layer of acid-resistant varnish is applied to the plate, which is made of zinc or copper. The etcher uses a needle to expose the metal. When the plate is submerged in acid, the exposed lines are eaten into the plate. Light lines can be achieved by removing the plate part-way through etching and re-coating them with varnish. Dark lines occur when the acid eats most deeply. The plate is then cleaned, coated with ink, and used to produce maps.

Copper Engraving. An intaglio map-making method - in other words the design is engraved into the plate using a graver or burin. When the plate is inked and cleaned, but some ink remains in the engraved lines; when the plate is pressed onto paper under high pressure, it is this ink which is absorbed by the paper to produce the map impression.

Mezzotint. Method of copper or steel engraving which enables maps to benefit from tones. Mezzotint was invented by a Dutch military officer, Ludwig von Siegen in the middle of the seventeenth (17th) century, and popularised in Britain in the eighteenth (18th) century. It involves engraving the whole surface of the plate with a curved, sawtoothed tool. Every shade from black to white is achievable, but there is no line drawing, so mezzotint technology was ideal for producing reproduction maps of famous artworks, rather than maps. Mezzotint was superseded by photoengraving.

Edited September 30, 2009 by BlaggardMike

[Silver]

i did wood block printing when i was in a high school printing class, that might have been the 16oo's. what i was asking is what type of paint are you going to use. i think i would do mine in color pencil vice watercolors.

[PoD]

I had a go at printing out a couple of 17th century sea charts on my large format printer today to see what they came out like. They dont actually look to bad from a distance (obviously the paper is wrong as these are just test prints) but close up the writing is a bit blurry in places. I think this is mainly down to the scanner rather than the printer.

This one i printed off the actual size of the scanned file so its about 56"x44". Not sure if this is correct size or not having never seen an original one. (the skull and tricorn hat are for size reference). Its a sea chart of what looks like the North Sea and English Channel.

This map I resized to fit on A1 paper (about 23"x33"). Its a map of what looks like part of North and South America and some of the Caribbean islands.

This is a picture of both of them so you can see the sizes:

I am basically thinking that if they are meant to be quite big then it might be an option to print them out on the correct paper then maybe go over all the lines and words with ink to make them look more authentic.

[Silver]

i think you might have something going there, not bad at all. i wouldn't want mine to be too large, it needs to be at a size where you can easlly transport it and spead it out on a table with out having to clear all your other suff off of it. i use a table thats 26" by 60" and i have most of my stuff on it. most musuems will give you one of those plastic folding tables to work off of they are about 30" by 66" my guess i don't have one handy. the chart that i presently use is a 1612 repo of virginia by john smith. it is not the best, but it has some interesting info on it to point out when you are demo'n navigation. the chart is 16" by 14" it is a workable size. how would on the clarity look if you reduced a chart to say 26-30" 16"-20"?

[Silver]

if you want the correct size of charts from that period google the "national maritime musuem" in england then search sea charts, they have a great collection of carts from several centuries.

[LadyBarbossa]

Reconstructing History use to sell charts. I don't know if they still do or not. From what I've been told, they don't. A pity, 'cause I purchased two charts from them and they are fabulous.

Yo'r charts look brilliant. I may obtain some from ye.

~Lady B

[PoD]

Reconstructing History use to sell charts. I don't know if they still do or not. From what I've been told, they don't. A pity, 'cause I purchased two charts from them and they are fabulous.

Yo'r charts look brilliant. I may obtain some from ye.

~Lady B

Thanks. :)

I think I have found some paper that they will look good on too now. Just creating a little archive of maps so I can get to printing some more out.

[PoD]

i think you might have something going there, not bad at all. i wouldn't want mine to be too large, it needs to be at a size where you can easlly transport it and spead it out on a table with out having to clear all your other suff off of it. i use a table thats 26" by 60" and i have most of my stuff on it. most musuems will give you one of those plastic folding tables to work off of they are about 30" by 66" my guess i don't have one handy. the chart that i presently use is a 1612 repo of virginia by john smith. it is not the best, but it has some interesting info on it to point out when you are demo'n navigation. the chart is 16" by 14" it is a workable size. how would on the clarity look if you reduced a chart to say 26-30" 16"-20"?

I'm hopefully going to be using a vector program to create the charts so this means they will retain the detail at any size

[Silver]

that sounds great can't wait to see them.

[blackjohn]

Reconstructing History use to sell charts. I don't know if they still do or not. From what I've been told, they don't. A pity, 'cause I purchased two charts from them and they are fabulous.

You must have picked the correct two. I have one, and I'd give it a rating of... not all that good.

Then again, my day job is quality assurance for an actual nautical charting group, and I have very high standards.

[j8ksdad]

PoD, are you producing these yet for sale?

[PoD]

PoD, are you producing these yet for sale?

I put them on the back burner for a while last year but i'll get back to sorting some out again if people are interested in them.