Chart of the World on Mercator’s Projection

“Filling in the blanks” of the British Empire in the mid-1820s.

This marvelously detailed map of the world was published around 1826 as part of Daniel Lizar’s posthumous Edinburgh Geographical and Historical Atlas. Land and sea offer unique juxtapositions, with the former emphasizing geographic features and political elements, while the latter notes the tracks of various explorers, including Cook, Barents, Tasman, Bering, and Weddell (the last is a key in helping to narrow the date of publication). Read collectively, the image defines the world from the perspective of the British during ‘Pax Britannia.’

In spite of the obvious authority granted by the clearly delineated national boundaries, defined toponyms, and precisely outlined discoveries, the map shows several persistent cartographic myths. The high probability of an accessible Northwest Passage clearly remains in the Arctic Circle. The Mountains of Kong, prominently bisecting Western Africa, speculation on Antarctica, and several unconfirmed islands are also depicted. The American West is largely vacant, save for scattered indigenous tribes and a handful of place names, including New Albion (the site of Drake’s landing) and Teguayo (a mythical Aztec homeland).