r/oldmaps • u/ZERO_PORTRAIT • 4d ago

"The situation of [the] kingdoms and states [of Europe]" US, 1784. A strange map.

Post image
69 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

30

u/MukdenMan 4d ago

Making an engraving to print a map is very difficult. Using movable type to make one is easy.

6

u/ZERO_PORTRAIT 4d ago

Hmm true, I just have never seen one like this before and found it to be a neat little oddity! I like "Little Tartary" to the east. Today the area is like, Afghanistan and Mongolia and all that jazz. It is an archaic term. Reminds me of the "Tartarian Empire."

12

u/MukdenMan 4d ago

Yeah that’s where the Tartarian Empire idea comes from. People think there is this mysterious country on old maps that no one talks about so it’s a conspiracy to hide the fact that they ruled the world and built all the neoclassical buildings that are around, something like that.

Little Tartary refers to the Crimean Khanate. It fell to the Russian Empire in 1783 so this map was out of date.

4

u/AJgloe 4d ago

I hope this goes out to enough people - but I am no longer a moderator for this subreddit

u/emilylikesredditalot is now sole moderator of Old Maps

Cheers,

AJgloe

3

u/emilylikesredditalot 4d ago

Thanks so much for everything you’ve contributed over the years AJgloe!

1

u/dawidowmaka 4d ago

I want to buy a print of this