Paul,
I think you are right. Checked with my father (a maritime pilot) who
said "...charts on which you could navigate...like drawing rhumb lines
did not really exist at that time."
Katie Lysons
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for issues related to map & spatial data librarianship
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Cooper, Alexander P R
Sent: 19 January 2010 15:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Marine charts needed for BBC documentary
Dear All,
But would a 15th/16th century mariner have been using charts at all?
From what I know, they depended much more on pilotage instructions - for
example, to get from X to Y, steer South (or whatever) to latitude
whatever. We're so used to the idea that charts are the ordinary means
of navigation that we forget that before printing they were expensive,
and of course, they are fragile in a ship-board environment. The
ordinary mariner could probably not afford a chart - or at most, he
might have a rough sketch copied from another master. He certainly
wouldn't have the sort of chart that is likely to be preserved in our
collections.
On the other hand, pilotage instructions (rutters) were vitally
important! Rutters describing new trade routes were national secrets, by
all accounts, and a trader with a rutter that described a better route
had a definite advantage over the competition. And they could be copied
by anyone who could write - but even reading and writing would be
relatively rare accomplishments in the 15th century.
All the best
Paul
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for issues related to map & spatial data librarianship
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rink W. Kruk
Sent: 19 January 2010 14:52
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Marine charts needed for BBC documentary
Try www.scheepvaartmuseum.nl or www.kit.nl
Best regards,
Rink
----- Mensaje original -----
De: "David Sherren" <[log in to unmask]>
Para: [log in to unmask]
Enviados: Lunes, 18 de Enero 2010 13:14:13
Asunto: Marine charts needed for BBC documentary
Dear all,
Can anyone else help this BBC researcher? I can supply reproductions of
17th century charts, but ideally he wants something from the 15th/16th
century. He has told me that
"A chart of the entire south coast/the channel would be excellent as it
looks like we may try and get to Jersey or somewhere using one of the
charts! Another essential part of the chart is that it must have Rhumb
lines on it as well as I think that is the important part of the
sequence".
They plan to start filming next Monday.
Since time is so tight, if anyone has a high quality scanned chart that
they can offer then I'm happy to print it here at Portsmouth.
David
> >>> "Mark Edger" <[log in to unmask]> 12/01/2010 >>>
> Dear sir/madam,
>
> I am working with the BBC researching on a forthcoming documentary
> called 'Mapping the World' that is looking at the history of
cartography
> over the ages. One sequence we hope to shoot is with our presenter on
a
> boat just outside Portsmouth with a navigation expert. For this shot
we
> are looking for some old sea charts of Portsmouth harbour and the
> surrounding seas to get a flavour of how past generations of seamen
> would have used the maps to navigate.
>
> I have written to you in the hope that you may have some holdings of
old
> sea charts of the Portsmouth area, or perhaps you could point me in
the
> direction of where I may be able to find them.
>
> Please by all means contact me on my below details if you have any
> further questions or indeed if you have any suggestions.
>
> Mark Edger
> Mapping the World
> BBC Four
>
> MC5C5
> Media Centre
> 201 Wood Lane
> London W12 7TQ
> Tel: +44 (0)20 800 84616
> Mobile: +44 (0)7729 02 40 29
> www.bbc.co.uk
>
>
>
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/
> This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain
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>
--
David Sherren
Map Librarian
The University Library
University of Portsmouth
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PORTSMOUTH
PO1 2ST
United Kingdon
Telephone: +44 (0) 23 9284 3655
Facsimile: +44 (0) 23 9284 3233
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.port.ac.uk/library/maplibrary
Thing of the Day http://reden.wordpress.com/
--
drs. Rink W. KRUK
Cartesius project leader
The Cartesius project is a cooperation of the Royal Library of Belgium,
the National Archive, the Royal Museum for Middle Africa and the
National Geographic Institute for bringing historical maps, photographs
and other historical material online for the general public and the
scientific community.
National Geographic Institute
Abdij Ter Kameren 13
1000 Brussels
BELGIUM
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