Maps & Charts
This collection comprises of maps and charts within the New Bedford Whaling Museum and Research Library. These items include both facsimiles and originals, ranging from 1670 to 2008, with the bulk dating from 1840 to 1925. They represent all oceans of the world, with the bulk covering the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and islands. Lands described include Fiji, the Marquesas, New Zealand, Australia, China, the coasts of the American continents, and up to the Bering Strait in the Pacific.
In the Atlantic, lands described include the Azores, Cape Verdean islands, Bahamas and Caribbean islands, and continental coasts, especially the North American coast and West Africa. A large number of maps and charts document Southern New England in general, specifically the area of New Bedford, Massachusetts. There are detailed street maps of the City of New Bedford, and topographical maps of the city and neighboring towns. Also represented are Narragansett Bay, Boston harbor, and Long Island sound.
Maps and Charts Finding Aid
Mapmakers include the U.S. Navy, British Admiralty, and Dutch, French, and Canadian hydrographic offices. Many were made through the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), and the U.S. Exploring Expedition (sometimes indicated at U.S. Ex. Ex.). Some prominent independent mapmakers include James Imray, E. & G.W. Blunt, James Horsburgh, J.W. Norie, R.H. Laurie, and George W. Eldridge.
This collection is organized into 12 series by geographical area which the map or chart displays, and chronologically by date. Dates indicate the date up to which a map or chart has been updated, with original publication date noted in the record description. Titles may have obsolete spellings or names of particular islands or regions depending on period in which the chart or map was created. Geographic regions in which the maps and charts are organized may overlap due to changes in oceanic boundaries.
