Top of page

Map Sketch Map of British Guiana.

About this Item

Title

  • Sketch Map of British Guiana.

Summary

  • Robert Hermann Schomburgk (1804--65) was a British naturalist and surveyor known for his pioneering surveys of British Guiana (present-day Guyana). Born and educated in Germany, he traveled to the West Indies in 1830 where he completed a survey of one of the Virgin Islands that was published in the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society. In 1835--39, under the direction of the Royal Geographical Society, he explored the Essequibo and Berbice Rivers in northern South America and completed a survey of British Guiana. Upon returning to Europe, he convinced the British government of the need to demarcate the boundaries of British Guiana. In April 1840, he was appointed commissioner for surveying and marking out the boundaries, which he completed in 1841--43. His proposals, known as the "Schomburgk line," figured prominently in the disputes of the late-19th century between Great Britain and Brazil and Venezuela over the borders of British Guiana. This "sketch map" by Schomburgk, published in London in 1840, shows the competing claims of Britain, Brazil, and Venezuela. At the top of the map are sketches of the port and lighthouse of Georgetown, Guyana and of New Amsterdam, Guyana (capital of the former Dutch colony of Berbice, which passed to British control in 1815).

Names

  • Schomburgk, Robert H. (Robert Hermann), Sir, 1804-1865 Creator.

Created / Published

  • London : John Arrowsmith, 1840.

Headings

  • -  Guyana
  • -  1840
  • -  Great Britain--Colonies

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 1 map : color ; 28 x 50 centimeters.
  • -  Reference extracted from World Digital Library: G. C. Boase, "Schomburgk, Sir Robert Hermann (1804--1865),"Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004).
  • -  Original resource at: Columbus Memorial Library, Organization of American States.
  • -  Content in English.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021668499

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Schomburgk, Robert H. , Sir, Creator. Sketch Map of British Guiana. London: John Arrowsmith, 1840. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668499/.

APA citation style:

Schomburgk, R. H. (1840) Sketch Map of British Guiana. London: John Arrowsmith. [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668499/.

MLA citation style:

Schomburgk, Robert H. , Sir, Creator. Sketch Map of British Guiana. London: John Arrowsmith, 1840. Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021668499/>.