Denmark Map 1842 Arrowsmith Regional Color Print - Denmark, Copenhagen, Jutland, Funen

This detailed map of Denmark was made by John Arrowsmith and published in London in 1842, with the regions of the kingdom set apart by color. John Arrowsmith belonged to a cartographic dynasty that operated from the late eighteenth century to the middle of the nineteenth, and his maps were known for their careful preparation and exact detail. The sheet gives the shape of the kingdom, with its peninsula and its scatter of islands, and each region has its own tint, which makes the political divisions of the country easy to read at a glance. The color separation of the regions is the main attraction of the sheet, and it makes the country easy to read and pleasant to look at on a wall.

The family business was founded by Aaron Arrowsmith, born in County Durham in 1750, who came to London around 1770 and had set up his own shop by 1790. He worked on or near Soho Square, among the likes of Joseph Banks and Matthew Flinders, and he became Hydrographer to the Prince of Wales in 1810 and Hydrographer to the King in 1820. After Aaron died in 1823 the business passed to his sons and later to his nephew John, who lived from 1790 to 1873 and bought the remaining stock at auction, then operated an independent business. The sheet therefore belongs to a long line of careful British work.

Anyone who likes Victorian atlases, a family with roots in Denmark, or someone who likes regional color maps will find a lasting gift here. TheMapVault's Tallis map of Denmark from 1851 adds scenes and a flag, whereas this Arrowsmith sheet keeps to a plain and exact geography. Like every print in the collection, it ships unframed and is available in a full range of sizes, from a compact desk piece to a large-format statement print. It would suit a study or a hall.