Bottle Chart of the Atlantic Ocean by A. B. Becher. Oceanic currents 1843 map
£640
SKU: P-6-111285
Bottle Chart of the Atlantic Ocean [with letter by Captain John Ross]
An evocative and scientifically important thematic chart, Alexander Bridport Becher’s Bottle Chart of the Atlantic Ocean (1843) represents one of the earliest systematic attempts to map ocean circulation. Compiled from the recorded positions of message bottles cast adrift by mariners, the network of track lines reveals prevailing North Atlantic currents, notably the Gulf Stream system. By plotting recoveries made months or even years later, Becher transformed scattered anecdotal reports into visualised empirical evidence of large-scale drift patterns. Published in the Nautical Magazine, the chart bridged practical navigation and emerging oceanographic science. It is accompanied by a dissenting letter from Arctic explorer Sir John Ross, who cautions that winds, storms, and seasonal variability render such drift evidence less conclusive than Becher suggests.
Browse available examples:
Size 34 x 48 cm | 13.5 x 19.0 inches
Date Published: Feb 1st 1843 [dated]
Type: Antique engraved map, together with accompanying six page article, printed on both sides of three sheets
Author: Becher, Alexander Bridport
Publication: The Nautical Magazine
Condition: Good |
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