Patrick and Anette Ahrens The Map Chest specializes in original antique maps printed between 1500 and 1800.
We also offer, on a smaller scale, a few antiquarian books. In keeping with our cartographic interests, the antiquarian books we offer are geographies, atlases or travel books printed in the same period.
Today in 1865 the Emancipation Proclamation was read out to enslaved African Americans in the most remote slave holding state of Texas, two months after the surrender at Appomattox. Jubilee Day was celebrated the following year in Austin and Houston. Juneteenth is now recognized as a Federal Holiday. Here Texas on Johnson's United States map of that era. Happy Juneteenth!
Today in 1619 Jens Munk set sail with 65 men searching for the Northwest Passage under the sponsorship of Christian IV of Denmark. He returned two years later with two fellow survivors and published his account in Copenhagen. This Map of Groenland depicting his discoveries was published by Herman Moll in London in 1704. Note the location of his winter camp at the far west and his naming of Christian’s Sea, now the upper Hudson Bay.
Today in 1717 Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina was born in Vienna. For forty years she ruled the Hapsburg dominions in her own right, refusing to defer to either her husband or to her son. She gave birth to sixteen children, ten of whom survived to adulthood and marriages of alliance. Perhaps the most famous of these was Marie Antoinette of France. Here Vienna on Lazium’s Austiae Descrip. printed in 1603.
Today in 1602 Sebastian Vizcaino set sail from Acapulco, New Spain on an expedition to locate safe harbors in California for Gaspar de Zuniga, 5th Count of Monterey. Half the crew perished, and missions were not built in upper California for another 150 years. Nevertheless, Vizcaino chose place names that persist to this day: San Diego Bay, Bay of Monterey, Santa Barbara Channel, Point Conception, Point Lobos, the Carmel River, and more. Cette Carte De Californie et Du Nouveau Mexique printed by Nicolas de Fer in 1705 reflects the continuity of these place names over a time span of four centuries.
Today in 1598 Juan de Oñate formally claimed all land north of the Rio Grande at modern El Paso for Spain. Here the Americas as understood in 1598 on Munster’s Americae Sive Orbis Nova Descriptio from the Cosmographia. This woodcut map, printed in 1588 by Sebastian Petri updated the 1540 map, yet includes the misshapen South America among other mistakes.
Today in 1564 William Shakespeare was baptized in Stratford Upon Avon. No one knows the exact date he arrived in London, but when he retired back to Stratford around 1613, he left a body of work considered the most influential in the English language. Here on Ortelius’ Angliae, Scotiae et Hiberniae, Sive Britannicar: Insularum Desriptio. Stratford is Stretford, straddling the Avon, and north is to the right. Londen straddles the Thames at the detail’s lower left.
Today in 1789 John Adams was sworn in as our first vice president in the capital of New York City, more than a month after his term began. Meanwhile, that same day, George Washington was feted by the ladies of Trenton, NJ. His inauguration would be delayed until April 30th. Here the nascent United States on Bonne’s Carte de la Partie Nord des Etats Unis, printed circa 1785.
Today in 1736 Theodor Stephan Freiherr von Neuhoff, a German adventurer, was crowned King of Corsica. His reign only lasted until November of that same year. Twice incarcerated in debtors prisons, first in Amsterdam, then in London, he is one of six kings in Venice mentioned in Voltaire’s Candide. Here Corsica on Covens & Mortier’s Nova Italia Descriptio of that era.
Today is Buddha’s Birthday, or Hana Matsuri, Flower Festival, as celebrated in Japan. While Siddhartha Gautama was born in modern Nepal, the many Asian nations that follow his path use different lunar calendars. His birthday falls in April or May in most nations. In Japan a painting depicting the Buddha’s birth is displayed at Sensoji Temple and worshippers visit. Here Asia ex magma orbis terre descriptione printed in 1613 by Gerard Mercator.
Today in 1513 La Florida was named by Ponce de Leon for its verdant landscape and for the Easter season. Easter was called Pascua Florida, Festival of Flowers in Spain. He continued to explore the coastline for the next several weeks. La Florida Aucture Hieron Chiaves was printed on the same page as Guastecan Reg. by Ortelius in 1608.
Today in 1663 King Charles II granted a charter to eight of his closest supporters in the Restoration as the Lord Proprietors of Carolina. The grant stretched from Albemarle Sound in the north to the modern border of Georgia and Florida in the south, a land area larger than the size of Great Britain. The southern border is clearly delineated on Herman Moll’s Map of Carolina printed in 1728, this copy appearing in the 1739 Dublin edition.
Today in 1615 Katherine Jones, Vicountess Ranelach, was born in Youghal, Ireland. Sister to Robert Boyle she collaborated with him in his experiments. He credited her as “a great Lady,” but her contributions to his work were ignored by later biographers. Additionally she may have hosted the “Invisible College” and met with leading scientists of the day. She had a laboratory built at her London house for Boyle’s work. Youghal is Ionghul on Ortelius’ Angliae, Scotiae, et Hiberniae, Sive Britannicar: Insularum Desripio. first printed in 1609.
Today in 492 or alternatively in 460, Pātricius, first bishop of Armagh, died in his adopted home of Ireland. St. Patrick became a saint before canonization became codified. His life is substantiated with two of his own writings(which are undated), and multiple later references in histories of Hibernia. His feast day is a celebration all things Irish worldwide. Here his reputed place of burial, Downpatrick, is labeled Dunum for this Roman era Ireland on Sanson's Romanii Imperi of 1637.
Today in 1798 Abigail Powers was born in Stillwater, NY. At age 16 she began teaching and took on a student two years her junior, Millard Fillmore. The pair were married after a long engagement spanning nearly seven years. As First Lady, Abigail often counseled her husband. Her lasting contribution was the founding of the White House library. Her birthplace is across the Hudson River from the town Schancook on Carte des Etats Unis printed by Tardieu in 1802.
Today in 1796 General Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine de Beauharnais in Paris following a two week engagement. He left Paris two days later and the marriage thirteen years later. Here Le Plan de Paris et ses Faubourgs by de Fer printed in 1717.
Today in 1770 British soldiers fired into a mob in the Incident on King Street, killing three men , including Crispus Attucks. Two additional men died, bringing the total deaths in the Boston Massacre to five. Two soldiers were convicted of manslaughter, but Paul Revere’s engraving of the incident sparked outrage throughout the colonies. Here Boston with its Environs printed by C. P. Wayne in 1806. Note #1 State (formerly King) Street.
Today in 1786 Ecueracapa, a leader of the Kotsotekas, negotiated a peace treaty between the Spanish and the Comanche tribes in Santa Fe. The treaty was the result of multiple negotiations among Comanche peoples and secured trading rights in Santa Fe, Pecos and Taos. The Spanish sought an alliance against the Apaches. Here Le Nouveau Mexique, avec la Partie Septentrionale de l’Ancien, ou de la Nouvelle Espangne printed by Bonne at that time. Note Santa Fe, Piros(Pecos), Jeronimo de Taos and Apache lands on the map.
Today in 1895 Frederick Douglass died of a heart attack at his home in Washington, DC at the age of 77. He worked tirelessly as an abolitionist, an orator, a writer, and a social reformer. On Johnson’s Delaware and Maryland printed in 1866, Douglass’ birthplace in Talbot County lies unlabeled between Easton and Hillsboro. He boarded a train in Baltimore to self liberate in 1838. You can trace his route to Philadelphia along the rail line depicted. His final home in DC lies on this map in Uniontown, renamed Anacostia in 1866, the date of the map. The Episcopal Church (USA) commemorates “the most influential African American of the nineteenth century” by observing Frederick Douglass Day.
Today in 1779 Captain James Cook was murdered by an angry mob of natives in Hawaii while attempting to take King Kalaniʻōpuʻu hostage. His second visit to Hawaii had begun well when he arrived during a religious festival. A month’s long visit strained relations between British Naval crew and the islanders. Here a view of Kealakekua Bay from Bankes's System of Geography of 1788 where Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Park preserves grounds sacred to Hawaiians, and Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park protects the Captain Cook Memorial.
Today in 1778 Rhode Island ratified the Articles of Confederation, the fourth state to do so. After its early adoption of this document, the state was last of the thirteen to ratify the Constitution in 1790. Here A Map of Connecticut and Rhode Island with Long Island Sound ,&c. printed in the November 1776 issue of Gentleman’s Magazine, London.
Today in 1720 Thomas Fairchild presented his botanical specimen, nicknamed the Mule, to the Royal Society. This was the first hybrid flower, a cross between the carnation and the Sweet William. The Royal Society began meeting at Crane Court at the north end of the alley that year and continued to meet there until 1780. Here Crane Court is #32 on the Map of Farringdon Ward by John Strype printed that year.
Today in 1671 pirate Henry Morgan sacked and burnt the city of Panama. The ruins called Panama Viejo were declared a World Heritage Site in 1997. Here Panama on Ogilby’s Insulae Americanae printed at that time.
Today in 1719 the Herrschaft of Liechtenstein was created when Vaduz and Schellenberg were united under the lordship of Anton Florian of Liechtenstein by Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI. The principality continues as the sixth smallest nation. Here the future nation is depicted southeast of Feldkirch on Visscher’s Exactissima Helvetia printed 1680. Vaduz, the capital, is Yadutz.
Source of the map posted on the 17th.
Today in 1781 General Daniel Morgan led patriot forces to victory against Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton’s British and Loyalist forces at the Battle of Cowpens. The destruction of Tarleton’s brigade broke the British hold on South Carolina and led Cornwallis to redirect his efforts. Here South Carolina on A New Map of North America printed in The History of the War in America, between Great Britain and Her Colonies by Patrick Gordon published in Dublin in 1779.
Today on Facebook The Map Chest page has attained 1000 likes. Here Bamberg from Schedel’s Nuremberg Chronicle, considered the first illustrated world history, printed in 1493. This is among the oldest of our holdings and depicts the setting of your hosts’ first meeting. Thank you for your interest and support.
Today in 1805 the Territory of Michigan was created by Congress, effective June 30th of that year. This separated the area called Wayne County from the Indiana Territory which included today’s Wisconsin, Illinois and the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. Here Michigan as understood in 1802 on Tardieu’s Carte des Etats-Unis De L'Amerique Septentrionale. The blue region incorporates the Northwest and Indiana Territories.
Today in 1721 the results of the inquiry into the South Sea Bubble were published, revealing corruption and fraud. Created a decade earlier to monopolize the slave trade to the South Seas and South America, the South Sea Company never made money, and many investors lost everything when the stock collapsed. Sir Isaac Newton was among the losing investors . Here A New & Exact Map of the Coast, Countries and Islands within the Limits of ye South Sea Company printed by Herman Moll circa 1720. The map was designed to sell stock in the venture.
Today in 1659 "whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way” was subject to a 5-shilling fine in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Here Maßachuſets on Jansson's Nova Anglia Novum Belgium et Virginia of 1639. Merry Christmas!
Today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, calculated and celebrated throughout the ages by myriad cultures. Here Systema Solare Et Planetarium printed by Baptist Homann circa 1716 with the latest understanding of the solar system. Happy Solstice!
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