The magazines of London. c1725- c1800.
Around 1750, London witnessed the explosive circulation
growth of periodicals (mostly monthlies). These magazines,
generally extremely well researched, offered up-to-the-moment
political/economical/social information to their well educated
audience. Some of these magazines are still regularly published
today.
Based mostly on/around PaterNoster Row, the Gentlemen's Magazine,
the Royal Magazine, the Universal Magazine, the Intelligencer,
the Lady's magazine, Town and Country magazine, the Scot's
magazine (in Edinburgh),. were the main source of information
for the british elite when it came to detailing and explaining
the latest developments in the far reaches of the Empire.
As such a full complement of cartographers was retained to
illustrate battle accounts, town sieges, harbor blockades,
and land conquests; almost in real time (for that period).
Thomas Jefferys, Thomas Kitchin, Emanuel Bowen and later his
son Thomas, John Hinton, John Gibson, John Lodge, John Cary,
and many other of lesser reputation, participated in the effort.
In most cases, the maps were of rather small format, and uncolored.
Anonymous.
These two small woodcut maps were printed on the same page
in the May 1748 edition of the London Magazine. English text
on verso.
The St Louis du Sud map (4" X 3 3/8") shows the general layout
of the port with town and fortification on the south coast
of present day Haiti. Interestingly enough: Knowles at that
time was only a rear admiral, and the actual date of the siege
was March 1748.
The Santiago map (4" X 3 3/8") depicts an amazingly incorrect
layout of the bay and a wrong location for the town (which
was actually on the east side of the anchorage, close to the
end of the bay). The fort defending the entrance of the bay
(San Pedro de la Roca, also known as the Castillo del Morro)
is shown with the unexplained name of Wachanan.
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