J.D. Potter. Mexico to Bolivia. 1840

J.D. Potter (active early–mid 19th century)
Pacific Ocean – Mexico to Bolivia
London: J.D. Potter, Agent for the Admiralty Charts, circa 1840
Copperplate engraved Admiralty chart
Sheet size: 24 x 18 inches

This precise and austere hydrographic chart of the Pacific coastline from Mexico to Bolivia was issued by J.D. Potter, official agent for the British Admiralty. Reflecting Britain’s naval and commercial interests in the eastern Pacific during the early 19th century, the map is a clear example of the technical sophistication of Admiralty chart-making during the height of the age of sail.

The chart spans a vast expanse of coast from Baja California and Acapulco through Central America to the Andean ports of Callao and Arica. It details capes, bays, islands, and anchorages, along with bathymetric soundings and navigational hazards critical for maritime passage. With its clean grid of latitude and longitude and absence of decorative flourishes, it exemplifies the practical design of British naval cartography in the post-Napoleonic period.

Potter’s role as a publisher and distributor of Admiralty charts made such works accessible to merchant captains, naval officers, and scientific expeditions alike. Charts like this one were essential tools for global trade and imperial projection—particularly along the Pacific coastlines newly independent from Spanish rule but increasingly involved in British maritime networks.