Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii — Antique Harbor Map (c. 1900–1901)
An original turn-of-the-century map of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, issued as Plate No. 8 in a U.S. Senate Document of the 56th Congress, 2nd Session (the "S. Doc. 56-2" imprint appears at lower right; that session ran from December 1900 to March 1901).
The map is bounded by the parallel of 21 degrees 20 minutes North Latitude and the meridian 158 degrees West of Greenwich, with a scale bar of 0–3 miles.
It shows Pearl Harbor essentially in its natural state, before the major U.S. Navy dredging that later widened the entrance channel and deepened the lochs.
Water depths are given in fathoms throughout ("The figures in Pearl Harbor give depth in fathoms"), and the map names Ford's Island, the Puuloa entrance, the Oahu Railway, the Ewa Sugar Plantation and its mill, and the road "To Honolulu, 12 Miles." A compass indicator sits at upper left.
For historical context, condemnation proceedings for the Navy Yard began in July 1901, and dredging of the entrance channel progressed through 1904 — making this map a snapshot of the harbor on the eve of its transformation into a major naval base.
A very collectible piece of Hawaii and Pearl Harbor history, of interest to collectors of Hawaiiana, naval and maritime material, and antique maps.
Condition: Folded as issued, with a central fold and cross-folds and the resulting fold lines; light overall toning. A few short tears and small nicks along the top edge. The verso is blank. The printed image and color are clean and bright. Approx. sheet size 11" x 9".