Nautical Charts: an Introduction

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1892	1993
	Click on any of these images to go to the relevant list of UO MAP Library charts.
2003

Nautical charts are today typically created by national mapping agencies. They are used to facilitate movement of people and cargo over water. Prior to the existence of accurate, up-to-date charts that could be used for navigating the oceans, seas, and inland waters, mariners had to rely on either written descriptions of safe routes, or on local pilots. Inaccuracies in these descriptions, and lack of available pilots, led to many shipwrecks.

The first known western nautical charts were created in the 13th century. From this time, charts slowly overtook written descriptions as the primary aid to navigation. By the 16th century the Dutch were considered the masters of chart printing. In the late 18th century that title had been taken by the English, who need to produce charts of their possessions.

The United States began charting its coastal waters in 1807 when the Survey of the Coast was created by an act of Congress, signed by President Thomas Jefferson. http://www.history.noaa.gov/legacy/coastsurvey.html. There is an excellent history of its early years available online through NOAA's electronic library.

The first US charts were issued in 1837, but production did not really ramp up until the perfection of electrotyping in the late 1850's. This was a method of copying an engraved copper plate original without damaging it. This process allowed the price of each printed sheet to drop by a huge amount.

There has been a division between charting for civilian use and charting for military use since the establishment of the Navy Depot of Charts and Instruments in 1830. However, during wars, the commissioned officers [http://www.history.noaa.gov/legacy/corps.html] who work for NOAA in scientific roles have usually reverted to the Navy, while civilian scientists frequently work alongside military scientists, returning to civilian roles after the conflict.

In the 1920's the Navy Hydrographic Office pioneered the use of what would later be called SONAR to find water depth, which helped with creating accurate charts. They were similarly in the forefront of using aerial photography to help create and update nautical charts.

On July 1, 1974, US charting agencies implemented a new sheet numbering system that created a single system for the entire world for both civilian- and military-produced charts. That system continues today even as charts are moving into fully digital systems.

MAP Library Nautical Chart Collection

Sources:
http://www.idp.mdh.se/personal/tpe01/publicering/porathePaperNewport03.pdf
http://www.history.noaa.gov/legacy/coastsurvey.html
http://www.history.noaa.gov/legacy/corps.html
http://www.lib.noaa.gov/edocs/CONTENTS.htm

~J.M.c 2004

Maintained by: map librarian, map@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 11/15/2006