DESCRIPTION: SOLD
Interesting antique fragment covering lower Chesapeake Bay cut from a large 19th-century nautical chart. This relic, formerly an inset chart in a much larger rolled sea chart, shows the entrance to Chesapeake Bay with parts of Virginia and Delaware.
Contains many interesting pencil manuscript compass bearings off the Cape Henry lighthouse which was the first such navigational aid to be built in the Chesapeake Bay. Built in 1792 at a cost of $24,076 the light at Cape Henry burned tuna fish oil, whale oil, colza oil, and lard oil. The light was only updated to burn kerosene in 1859 after petroleum oil was found in Pennsylvania. (Morrison and Hansen. Charting the Chesapeake).
As stated in the title, the topographic and hydrographic detail is from the U.S. Coast Survey, therefore this was likely a privately published chart. Coastal outline is very dark, suggesting that the author was George Eldridge.
Dated probably to the last half of the 19th century. The Willoughby Spit Lightship, off the entrance to Hampton Roads, has been crossed out in pencil. A bit of research reveals that in 1872 the lightship was replaced with what is now the Thimble Shoals light. That fact suggests the source chart was printed before 1872 and used at sea after 1872.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1870
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: N/A
BODY OF WATER: Chesapeake Bay
CONDITION: Poor.
Contains no tears or holes but is lightly foxed and dirty at the right with chips and wrinkles. No margins to speak of. Laid to linen as issued.
COLORING: None
ENGRAVER: Charles Copley?
SIZE: 17
" x
14 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 0
PRICE: $
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