A reproduction print by Old Folding Maps Co. based on a James Wyld World Map, circa 1861. Framed with a mount in a traditional-style black and antique gold frame, ready to hang on your wall.
The world in 1861 seemed a much larger and a more mysterious place than it does today. While steamships were in operation, journeys from Britain to places like Australia would still have been by sail and taken around four months. Large parts of the world were still unknown to Europeans and much of the 'tropics' remained so until the widespread use of quinine gave a defence against diseases such as malaria. World population in 1860 was around 1.25 billion.
Travellers from Georgian and Victorian times and before would have to protect their delicate paper maps from all the dangers they faced on the open road. The maps were also expensive and often used in very cold and damp conditions. Constant opening and closing would cause a paper map to soon disintegrate. To avoid this fate the map would be dissected and strengthened by laying it on cloth but despite these efforts, few survived to the present day and original maps are now extremely scarce.
This map has been hand laid down in the traditional way on 100% natural cotton cloth. Maps of the 18th and 19th centuries are often hand-coloured but these colours fade quite quickly when exposed to light. This map is printed with pigment inks that are lightfast but nevertheless try and avoid hanging it in direct sunlight and keep away from heat.
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