Set of Three Imray Blueback Charts of the West Coast of North America, 1849 – 1875, with Multiple Courses for the Ship Robert Depew (?) Plotted in Pencil, from Valparaiso to Vancouver Island and San Francisco, 1870s and 1880s.
Charts.
Price: $3000
This lot consists of three related charts, as follows – “Chart of the North Pacific Ocean, Exhibiting the Eastern Shores of Asia and the Western Coast of North America from the Equator to Behring’s Strait with Plan, on an Enlarged Scale, of the Principal Island and Harbours.” London, James Imray and Son, 1849 (corrected to 1863), six inset charts, including San Francisco and Fuca Strait, 39 1/2 x 74 inches. (and) “West Coast of North America from San Blas to San Francisco.” London, James Imray and Son, 1870, with Imray stamp 1872, with eighteen inset chart, including a large San Francisco Bay, 51 1/2 x 40 3/4 inches (and) “West Coast of North America from San Francisco to Queen Charlotte Ids.” London, James Imray and Son, with Imray stamp 1882, and stamp of instrument maker Michael Rupp & Co., New York, with fourteen inset charts, including a large one of Fuca Strait, 50 1/2 x 41 inches. All three of these charts show courses plotted in the same smudged purple pencil, to and from Valparaiso, with notes on weather and dates, and many other course tracks in pencil and pen, all, apparently for the ship Robert Depew (?) Southwick (?) master (?). These also have annotations. The charts are professionally cleaned, and laid onto blue chart paper as they were originally, with labels preserved. All show some repaired edge tears, and scattered spotting and smudging, particularly where the courses were most heavily plotted. The 1849 (1863) chart of the North Pacific is the second edition of a rare and valuable chart that saw much use in Pacific trade and the Gold Rush years. Lot of three charts