DESCRIPTION: SOLD
Decorative antique chart of the Gulf Stream with the Florida East and West Territories. After Benjamin Franklin's original chart, first engraved by James Poupard, published by the American Philosophical Society in 1786.
This chart lacks the written sailing directions in Poupard's engraving or "Remarks upon the navigation from Newfoundland to New York in order to avoid the Gulph Stream on the one hand, and on the other the Shoals that lie to the southward of Nantucket and of St. George's Banks." In those remarks, Franklin notes the time savings mariners can achieve through avoiding the Gulf Stream when westbound from England to the USA :
"The Nantucket captains who are acquainted with this stream, make their voyages from England to Boston in as short a time generally as others take in going from Boston to England, viz. from 20 to 30 days."
Source: The Complete Works on Philosophy, Politics and Morals of the Late Dr. Benjamin Franklin, 2nd ed, London 1806. Plate VII. Vol 2. p. 197. Published by Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme. London, April 1, 1806.
The illustration and quotation on this trade card were not unique to John Cosgrove but rather part of a stock design widely used by 19th-century printers who specialized in producing humorous or sentimental advertising cards. Lithographers commonly kept catalogs of ready-made comic scenes—like this seaside mother-and-child vignette with the line “It’s a wise child that knows its own mother at the sea side”—which merchants could customize by adding their own business imprint below. In this case, the printer simply inserted Cosgrove’s name, trade description, and Poydras Market address into the blank advertising panel at the bottom, allowing a small New Orleans fish dealer to benefit from professionally printed imagery at a fraction of the cost of commissioning original artwork.
PUBLICATION DATE: 1806
GEOGRAPHIC AREA: United States
BODY OF WATER: Atlantic Ocean
CONDITION: Good.
Solid. Slight stains. No major condition issues.
COLORING:
ENGRAVER: unknown
SIZE: 8
" x
7 "
ITEM PHYSICAL LOCATION: 11
PRICE: $
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