Reproducing proper Maps/Charts

[Capt. Sterling]

Oi question about maps and charts of the period... there are quite a number of these on ebay, which are extremely easy to turn into a transparancy, throw up on the wall and set onto paper... question is, okay the questions are :

what size paper? What was the average size??

What kind of paper?

would they be rolled or stored flat?

were map chests around already?

or would they have stored them in some kind of tube??

I'm thinking, loss or serious damage to charts, maps, and letters of marque could have caused dire consequences ... one reads of plenty of times about the LoMs being locked up, what about charts and maps???

[Fox]

what size paper?  What was the average size??

How long is a piece of string? I don't know that there's such a thing as an "average" chart size. For example, I have some repro charts done at the size of the original, they range from a 17"x21" chart of Dartmouth harbour to a 41"x27" chart of the English Channel. One of my favourite charts in the NMM is 31"x40".

What kind of paper?

Again, string. Ideally charts were made on vellum, because it's durable, but in practice all sorts of papers were used.

would they be rolled or stored flat?

Your choice really, I've seen both. Folded and stored flat is easier to use, but rolled damages the paper less.

were map chests around already?

or would they have stored them in some kind of tube?? 

Aha! A good question. Tubes are definitely ok, but I've not seen the classic chart case around this early - but I might well be very wrong on this one. Dampier kept his journal in a hollowed bamboo, I have one I keep some of my charts in.

It's worth bearing in mind that a lot of charts and maps were bound into atlasses (or rutters, or waggoners), ranging from 4 pages to several hundred. Books like that would most likely have been kept in chests.

Particularly important charts were often mounted on wooden pieces that were hinged together so that they could be folded up to protect the chart

I'm thinking, loss or serious damage to charts, maps, and letters of marque could have caused dire consequences ... one reads of plenty of times about the LoMs being locked up, what about charts and maps???

Well, charts were exceptionally valuable - worth much more to a seaman than their mere monetary value. Outside the navy and large shipping companies charts were often the property of individuals rather than the vessel, so would have been treated as an important personal possession.