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Historical Travels: Navigation Charts

Reconstructing journeys from the past

Navigation Charts

Chart of Narraganset Bay : surveyed in 1832. Image ID 57206172Navigation charts have been utilized from the earliest explorers to navigators today. Typically produced by government agencies, navigation charts can be split into two groups: nautical charts and aeronautical charts. These charts have specialist information to aid in navigation. As such, the map reader would be given insight on how a navigator would maneuver their chosen route. As such, navigation charts are able to answer:

  • What obstacles might a navigator have, along their chosen route?
  • What land features can aid in navigation? (ex. lighthouses/air towers)
  • Where can a boat or an airplane land safely? 

Navigation charts can answer these questions, and many more.

To learn more about navigation charts and how to interpret them, we highly recommend reading Navigation Charts by Australia's Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping.

See below for a list of examples of navigation charts that you can start your research with.

Chart of Narraganset Bay : surveyed in 1832. Image ID 57206172

Catalog Tips

When searching the Online Research Catalog for navigational charts, in the Advanced Search, checkmark "Cartographic" under Format and type the following into either the Keyword Field or Subject Field for most results:

Please note that the category of nautical charts includes portolan charts, which were created by hand during Medieval Europe until the early eighteenth century. You can find these charts via the following subject headings:

  • Portolan Charts [Location of interest] 
    • Please note that it is helpful to do the above search twice,  with "Cartographic" both checkmarked and un-checkmarked under Format, to get a full sense of materials we have.
    • Keyword Search: Portolan Charts
  • Nautical Charts Early Works to 1800 [Location of interest] 
    • Please note that not all of the results for the above search will be portolan charts. However, for charts that are not labeled as "Portolan Charts," this is an alternative search that can retrieve portolan maps. 
    • Keyword Search: Nautical Charts Early Works to 1800 Africa

For more information on portolan charts and selected recommendations from our collection, please go to the tab Travel Before 1800 in this research guide. 

A Selection of Navigation Charts