Antique Map of Turkey in Asia with Tableland Profile by Dower, circa 1845

About this sheet

This antique map of Turkey in Asia was drawn and engraved by John Dower of Pentonville and published in London by Orr and Company, Amen Corner, Paternoster Row, around 1845. Unlike Dower's simpler version of the same region, it includes a Classification of Places and a sectional profile across Asia Minor.

Along the lower edge a Section of the Line A B shows the Tableland of Asia Minor, with its mean elevation given as 2000 to 4000 feet and mountain heights such as Olympus marked, an unusual and attractive scientific feature. A key explains the symbols used for towns by population, and the capitals of the Ottoman eyalets, or governments, are underlined in colour.

John Dower of Pentonville was one of the leading London map engravers of the first half of the nineteenth century, and his maps were published by William Orr and his partners from their premises at Amen Corner, Paternoster Row. Engraved on steel, they combine clear lettering with fine hachured relief and remain popular with collectors of Victorian cartography. This sheet is otherwise uncoloured, which shows the fine engraved relief and lettering to advantage.

The profile and statistical key make this a map of real interest to collectors of historical geography, and it frames well beside other Victorian maps of Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Beyond its decorative appeal, a map of this kind records the place names, routes and political divisions known to travellers, merchants and scholars of its day, which gives it lasting value as a historical document.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning and a few small spots in the margins; the image is clean and strong.

This is an original antique map, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.