Title: Map of Sweden

Description

This map shows the Kingdom of Sweden as it appeared at the end of the 18th century. At the time, the kingdom included present-day Sweden as well as Finland, which, however, was lost to the Russian Empire in 1809. The map is the work of Samuel Gustaf Hermelin (1744-1820), a Swedish industrialist and diplomat who also practiced cartography. Hermelin studied mining at the University of Uppsala before traveling to the United States to study industrialization. While in North America, he was instrumental in establishing diplomatic relations between Sweden and the United States. After his return home, Hermelin tried to start a profitable mining business in Swedish Lapland, but such operations only became profitable after Hermelin’s death, when rail connections were established between Lapland and southern Sweden.