The Whale Chart
Friday, December 7th, 2007
Monster Maritime is thrilled to be able to offer for sale to its readers a full sized nautical chart originally printed by the US Defense Mapping Agency. The data to produce this chart was derived from the logbooks of Yankee Whalers by Lt. Mathew Fontaine Maury of the US Naval Observatory. The chart was originally published in 1851 and was printed by the United States Government unchanged and never updated until the mid 1980’s.
The chart’s dimensions are 40 inches long by 30 inches wide.
These charts are stunning in their simplicity. Matted and framed they make great conversation pieces and a valuable addition to any home or office decor. This is the perfect gift for any enthusiast of nautical history. The charts offered here are printed from a painstakingly accurate digital master made from one of the last available original charts.
The 1851 Whale Chart is described in Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” in a chapter titled, “The Chart.”
Unfortunately, the excerpt of the chart above is a little distorted by the blog software… The full chart depicts the Political World of 1851 (note: “Russian America”).
I was asked recently how I came to set the price for this item. I spoke with several art dealers and the printer. I explained my desire to make this rare chart available to the public as an interesting and educational piece of maritime art. After discussions about the process of digitizing a new master from the 1851 original and making a limited print run, they recommended a price of $45-60(US).
I would like as many people as possible to own and enjoy this chart.
I would like as many people as possible to own and enjoy this chart.
The Whale Chart is offered at $25.00 plus shipping.
Flat rate US domestic shipping $7.50. This includes a sturdy chart tube and First Class US Postage with delivery confirmation.
Flat Rate International shipping is available at $22.50. All monies are in US dollars.
For this offer I prefer payment by PayPal to . Other forms of payment accepted are personal checks drawn on US banks, cashier’s checks and money orders. However, charts will not be shipped until checks clear.
Contact me at: Place “Whale Chart” in the subject line.
Flat rate US domestic shipping $7.50. This includes a sturdy chart tube and First Class US Postage with delivery confirmation.
Flat Rate International shipping is available at $22.50. All monies are in US dollars.
For this offer I prefer payment by PayPal to . Other forms of payment accepted are personal checks drawn on US banks, cashier’s checks and money orders. However, charts will not be shipped until checks clear.
Contact me at: Place “Whale Chart” in the subject line.
Technorati Tags: Whales, whaling, history, whale chart, Mathew Maury, Sperm Whale, Sperm, Baleen Whale, Right Whale, Whale hunting, Moby Dick, Herman Melville, Essex, Heart of the Sea, Philbrick, harpoon, Charles W. Morgan, Mystic Seaport, Ahab, Whale oil, Nantucket, New Bedford, Sag Harbor, South Georgia Island, nautical chart, maritime history,Maui, Hawaii, south pacific, Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean, South China Sea