Charting an Empire: The Atlantic Neptune

 
The period following the French and Indian War (1754-1763) was a time of change and discovery in North America. In this display of charts, views, and maritime objects, we look at the decade following the war, when Britain set out to accurately chart the coast and survey the inland areas of their new resource-rich empire in Atlantic Canada, as well as the eastern seaboard extending from New England to the West Indies. The resulting charts were published collectively by Joseph Frederick Wallet Des Barres in The Atlantic Neptune, a maritime atlas which set the standard for nautical charting for nearly half a century. Using nearly 30 items, including nautical charts, navigational instruments, and ship models dating from the 18th century to the present, this exhibition examines the importance of accurate charting of the new empire, defines how Britain put her mark on the land, and explores the complex processes of marine surveying and nautical chart production.  View this exhibition online.

Part I: Atlantic Canada (May 1 to July 27)

Part II: Eastern Seaboard of Colonial America (NOW OPEN: August 1 to November 3)

The Meeting of Image and Word: Emblem Books from the Collection

The emblem book is a Western European phenomenon that presents symbolic pictures combined with a brief motto or title and a passage of related prose or verse to deliver a moral or amusing message. Emblem books began appearing in the sixteenth century with the publication of Andreas Aliciati’s first book in 1531. Success was immediate, and these little books continued to be popular well into the nineteenth century. This exhibition of emblem books from the Boston Public Library’s collection will focus on the high points of the genre from the middle of the sixteenth century through the end of the seventeenth century.  One of the volumes on display, George Wither’s A collection of emblemes, ancient and moderne (1635), has been fully digitized and is available online.