CAROLINE ISLANDS MICRONESIA1825 VANDERMAELEN UNUSUAL ANTIQUE LITHOGRAPHIC MAP #9

Océanique. Partie des Iles Carolines. N°. 9.

Description: Striking and highly detailed fine unusual large format 1825 original lithographic important map of a portion of the Caroline Islands archipelago, in Micronesia, in the western Pacific Ocean. The map shows Woleai Atoll, Ifalik Atoll (Ifaluk) and Egoy Islands.  
The medium used is lithography, a developing art form at the time, which Vandermaelen embraced for its ability to produce detailed and reproducible maps. The hand-coloring of the islands adds a visual distinction that enhances the map's clarity and aesthetic appeal.

Stylistically, the map fits within the neoclassical cartographic traditions of the early 19th century, emphasizing clarity, precision, and educational value. The use of simple color palettes and clear typography supports the map's function as a scientific and educational tool.

Culturally and historically, the map is a product of the Age of Exploration and European colonial expansion. The Caroline Islands were of interest to European powers due to their strategic location in the Pacific Ocean. Maps like this were crucial for navigation, trade, and territorial claims.

Source: Vandermaelen, P., Atlas universel de geographie physique, politique, statistique et mineralogique, (Bruxelles: Vandermaelen) 1825.    
 
Atlas Universel de Geographie. This great work, featuring some 378 unique maps and compiled over three years, was the first lithograph atlas, and the first to render the world on the same projection and at a uniform scale. It was no doubt Vandermaelen’s training a globe maker that led him see the need for an atlas rendered uniformly so that all bodies could be understood in relation to one another. As a result, many newly emerging areas received more attention than prior efforts. Maps of the American West, in particular, benefited: ‘no mapmaker had previously attempted to use such a large scale for any western American area.’ (Wheat). Central and South Asia also appear in sharper focus. Despite Vandermaelen’s reliance upon existing sources, his maps very frequently provided the clearest depictions available of many poorly-understood parts of the world. The atlas was an expensive production, costing $800 in 1827. Subscription lists indicate that only 810 full sets of the atlas were sold. It was printed on high-quality paper with superior hand coloring and was engraved in a clear, legible style. Conjoined, the maps of Vendermaelen's atlas would create a massive globe some 7.75 meters in diameter, a feat which was accomplished at the Etablissement Geographique de Brussels.

Date: 1825 ( undated )

Dimension: Paper size approx.: cm 60,8 x 49

Condition: Very strong and dark impression on good paper. Paper with chains. Map uncolored. Small foxing and browning. Small marginal tears. Corners partially missing. Map folded. Conditions are as you can see in the images. 

Mapmaker:  Philippe Marie Guillaume Vandermaelen (December 23, 1795 - May 29, 1869) was a Flemish cartographer active in Brussels during the first part of the 19th century. Vandermaelen is created with "one of the most remarkable developments of private enterprise in cartography," namely his remarkable six volume Atlas Universel de Geographie. Vandermaelen was born in Brussels in 1795 and trained as a globe maker. It was no doubt his training as a globe maker that led him see the need for an atlas rendered on a universal scale in order that all bodies could be understood in relation to one another. In addition to his great work Vandermaelen also produced a number of globes, lesser maps, a highly detailed 250 sheet map of Belgium, and several regional atlases.