This copper plate printing press was in operation by the U.S. Coast Survey, the Environmental Science Services Administration, and then NOAA, from 1851 through 1976.
This copper plate printing press was in operation by the U.S. Coast Survey, the Environmental Science Services Administration, and then NOAA, from 1851 through 1976. Before we had smart phones and GPS, we used paper maps that we kept in our cars’ glove compartments.
Ships’ navigators and surveyors used paper maps, too. But instead of showing roads and highways, they depicted the shoreline and seafloor, providing water depths, locations of dangers to navigation, and other features that mariners needed to know about in order to stay safe. Maps used for navigation on the water are called nautical charts. The process of creating and duplicating paper charts was once difficult and time-consuming. The U.S. Coast Survey began engraving and printing charts in the mid-nineteenth century. Ferdinand Hassler had two engravers brought over from Europe in late 1842 because the American engraving industry had not yet reached the same level of refinement. In May of 1843, he added an apprentice engraver from Philadelphia to the newly formed engraving unit. In 1851, this copper plate printing press was purchased for producing copies of the charts.By the mid-1850s the U.S. Coast Survey had an entire Engraving Division, headed by Lt. J. C. Clark, who was on assignment from the Army. The division included seven engravers, a number of apprentice engravers, and their clerical assistants. One of the apprentices was a young man named, who, after being quickly dismissed for lack of attendance and doodling on his copper plates, went on to become a world-famous American artist.The process for creating the U.S. Coast Survey’s hydrographic and topical charts began with the cartographers, who would sketch detailed hydrographic drawings of the selected location. Next, the drawings would go to the engravers, who would select a piece of copper, polish out any blemishes, and replicate the drawings as etchings on the copper plate by applying acid with a stylus. Finally, the copper plates would be sent to the printing press for duplication, creating the printed charts that were used for navigation.The next time you visit a seafood restaurant, check the walls for nautical charts. If you find one from 1976 or earlier with a single-ink color, it’s possible that it was printed on NOAA’s printing press or one like it! Have an idea for an artifact, photo, or document from NOAA’s history that you think we should feature in “Friday Finds!”? Send an email with a description and, if possible, a photo to
Heritage Heritage History Friday Finds Ocean Nautical Charts And Maps
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