CHART OF SPITHEAD, 1797

By William Heather

This reproduction is taken from an original document, held within the Archives of the UK Hydrographic Office, Taunton, Somerset.

In 1765 William Heather (1740-1812) set up as a publisher and dealer in charts and nautical instruments at 157 Leadenhall Street, London, under the sign of `The Little Midshipman'. For the next forty or so years he produced a series of important charts and pilot-guides, including `A pilot for the Atlantic Ocean', charts of the Channel, pilots for the Mediterranean and East Indies, and `The Marine Atlas'.

This chart of Spithead was published in 1797 when Heather was at his most accomplished. The wonderfully florid style of the title, the Notes, and the cartographer's name provide a balance to the fine line-work in the lower part of the chart. A charming and intricate piece of work.