Envisioning the World; The First Printed Maps

Ptolemy (Claudius Ptolemaeus),
Alexandrian Greek, active 146–c. 170

Envisioning the World; The First Printed Maps, 1472-1700
October 2, 2009 – January 17, 2010 at the Sonoma County Museum
A selection of 30 of the earliest printed maps from the private collection of Henry and Holly Wendt to explore the major trends in Western intellectual history from the early Renaissance through the scientific era of the Enlightenment.

Henry Wendt describes this selection of maps in the audio guide for this exhibition as a ‘collection of stories that is the grand story of the progress of knowledge and understanding of our environment and how people understood the world’. Wendt goes on, however to point out that ‘every map serves more than one purpose’ whether it be decorative, navigational, informative, for commerce or marking the outpost of an empire.’

Envisioning the World is divided into four major chronological sections, each one associated with a pioneer in scientific concepts of the time. As one walks through the exhibition, the maps display the evolution in understanding of geography and the nature of our solar system and our place in it. The exhibition also shows innovations in printing beginning with maps printed from woodcuts and graduating to detailed copperplate engravings.

The educational opportunities offered in this exhibition are accessible for those new to the world of cartography as well as those well versed. We recommend visiting the Sonoma County Museum especially to all that are interested in cartography and world history.

Arader Galleries has a fine collection of antique maps from the 16th to the 20th centuries. For more information, visit our locations at 432 and 435 Jackson Street, or call 415.788.5115.

The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show

The Arader Galleries team, from left: Tim Hamilton, Stephanie Waskins and Nicole Lopez

Below: Photographs of the Arader Galleries booth:

Object from Egyptomania exhibition

Andreas Cellarius celestials from the Arader Galleries collection on display in installation by Sutro Architects

The oldest continuously run antique show on the west Coast, The San Francisco Fall Antique Show, was held in the Marina at the Fort Mason Center October 29-November 1st. Arader Galleries San Francisco was pleased to participate in the show and was honored to be able to exhibit amongst the world’s premier antique dealers. Along with about 70 exhibitors, Arader Galleries debuted its impressive collection of maps, natural history and botanical engravings and lithographs from the 16th – 19th centuries, iconic images of California, the Pacific Islands and Asia as well as beautiful antique furniture, globes and more. On exhibition from Arader Galleries were some of the world’s most well renowned naturalists, cartographers and artist’s works, including John James Audubon, Dr. John Robert Thornton, Maria Sibylla Merian, Andreas Cellarius and Alexis-Hubert Jalliot.

The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show is the major fundraising event for Enterprise for High School Students, a non-profit job referral and career development agency in San Francisco. The theme of the show this year was Egyptomania: Imitation as Timeless Flattery and the lecture series for the show focused on cultural and historical artifacts and their relation to the ancient Egypt, as well as present day fascination with the culture and preservation of Egyptian life. In keeping with this theme, Arader Galleries displayed its own collection of Egyptian maps by Abraham Ortelius as well as mezzotints, engravings and lithographs of Egyptian landscape views, architecture, iconic imagery, animals and more. Arader Gallery was proud to be apart of the San Francisco Fall Antique Show and thankful for the opportunity to share and exhibit our vast collection of antiques.

Audubon’s Illustration of the Endangered California Condor

John James Audubon (1785-1851)
Plate 426 - California Vulture (California Condor) from The Birds of America

Of the three species of Vulture which inhabit the southern parts of North America, this is so much superior in size to the rest that it bears to them the same proportion as a Golden Eagle to a Goshawk. It inhabits the valleys and plains of the western slope of the continent, and has not been observed eastward of the Rocky Mountains. John James Audubon

John James Audubon is without rival as the most celebrated American Natural History artist. Audubon devoted his life to realizing his dream of identifying and depicting the birds of North America, and his work has had profound cultural and historical significance. In the second decade of the 19th century, he set out to travel throughout the wilderness of the United States, drawing every notable species of native bird. His remarkable ambition and artistic talent culminated in the publication of the monumental Birds of America betweem 1827 and 1838, a series of 435 aquatints that have only grown in fame since the time of their first appearance. This work established Audubon as an early American artist who could attract European attention, and for many, he personified New World culture and its emerging independent existence.

This enormous bird, now endangered, was widespread in Audubon’s time, although he never actually visited the Pacific slope where it was found. His friend, Dr. Townsend, sent him the following account, “The Californian Vulture...is most plentiful in spring at which season it feeds upon the dead salmon that are thrown upon the shore [of the Columbia River] in great numbers...The Californian vulture cannot, however, be called a plentiful species as even in the situations mentioned it is rare to see more than two or three at a time and these so shy as not to allow an approach to within a hundred yards unless by stratagem.”

One of the world’s rarest and most imperiled birds, the California Condor was rescued from the brink of extinction by captive breeding and release. The California Condor was once found throughout the Southwestern U.S. into Mexico (as well as pockets in New York and Florida), by the early 1900s they were largely confined to the rugged mountains and foothills of Central and Southern California, where they remained until 1987. In that year, the last free-flying wild bird was captured and integrated into an existing captive breeding program. (source: The Audubon Society)

From 1987 to 1992, no California Condors flew free in the California skies. In 1992 captive-bred condors were released into the wild at Hopper Mountain National Wildlife Refuge north of Ventura, California, with additional captive-reared birds added to the flock each year thereafter. Today, the condor remains imperiled, with just 279 condors living, including 70 wild birds in California.

Audubon's hand-colored aquantint of the California Vulture/Condor is currently on display at Arader Galleries San Francisco location at 435 Jackson Street, and is available for purchase. For more information, please call 415.788.5115.

History of Botanical Art

Stephanie Waskins, Director, Arader Galleries San Francisco

Catherine M. Watters

Last Thursday, September 24th, Arader Galleries hosted a reception and presentation on the history of botanical art from the 16th century to the present day in our 435 Jackson Street location in collaboration with the artist, Catherine M. Watters. Catherine has been teaching botanical illustration and watercolor at Filoli in Woodside, California since 1999 and is a primary instructor and curriculum developer for the Filoli Botanical Art Certificate Program. She lectures regularly on The History of Botanical Art and The Gardens of Normandy, and served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Botanical Artists from 2000-2006.

San Francisco gallery director, Stephanie Waskins, began the lecture showcasing spectacular examples from the Arader Gallery inventory of original botanical watercolors and prints dating as early as 1547 with illustrated texts devoted to herbals and florilegiums. The lecture included the works of Leonhart Fuchs, Basil Besler, Maria Sybilla Merian, Pierre-Joseph Redoute, and George Brookshaw among other artists. Catherine’s original watercolors of botanical subjects were shown alongside these historic examples.

We encourage you to visit the Filoli and inquire about Catherine’s classes should you have an interest in pursuing the art of botanical illustration. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to obtain a copy of a catalog from our gallery on the history of botanical art from the 16th through the 19th centuries.

The Lords of the Samurai exhibition at The Asian Art Museum

Japanese Watercolors of Irises from the Collection of Arader Galleries

The Lords of the Samurai is an exhibition not to be missed at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. This fascinating exhibition takes an intimate look at the daimyo, or provincial lords of the warrior class in feudal Japan. More than just professional warriors, Japanese samurai of the highest rank were also visionaries who strove to master artistic, cultural, and spiritual pursuits.

The exhibition features more than 160 works from the Hosokawa family collection housed in the Eisei-Bunko Museum in Tokyo, and from Kumamoto Castle and the Kumamoto Municipal Museum in Kyushu. Objects on view include suits of armor, armaments (including swords and guns), formal attire, calligraphy, paintings, tea wares, lacquerware, masks, and musical instruments.

The Arader Galleries team was particularly interested to see a beautiful album of Japanese watercolors of irises in the exhibition. In fact, we have recently received for inventory a set of delicately rendered 19th century Japanese watercolors very similar to the iris watercolors in this exhibition! The iris is a symbol of high importance in Japanese culture, and during the Edo period in Japan there was a renaissance of iris cultivation.

Please stop by the 435 Jackson Street location of Arader Galleries in San Francisco to see these extraordinary watercolors, or call us at 415.788.5115 to request a copy of our “The Japanese Iris” catalog.

Also, this is your last chance to see The Lords of Samurai at the Asian Art Museum, the exhibition closes on September 20th!

The First Official State Map of California

William M. Eddy

Approved and Declared to be the Official Map of the State of California by an Act of the Legislature Passed March 25th 1853.
New York: J.H. Colton, 1854
Hand-colored lithograph
Paper size: 52 1/5” x 43 1/2”
Framed size: 51 1/4” x 59 3/4”

The need for an “Official Map” of California was recognized at the founding of the California state government. An act of the state legislature passed on April 4, 1850 ordered the State Surveyor General to make an accurate map of the state. This was William Eddy.

Not much is known about William Eddy’s earlier career or education, however it is fairly certain that he was an experienced surveyor, and had some education in engineering before being appointed City Surveyor of San Francisco in 1849 during San Francisco’s first charter election. Eddy and his staff surveyed numerous city and private locations, and the majority of early maps of San Francisco were based upon Eddy’s various surveys, thus putting Eddy Street on the map!

With his new position as State Surveyor General, William Eddy, submitted a budget of $12,850 to pay for expenses to be incurred while surveying and drafting the development of the “Official Map” of California. He received only $3,000, greatly limiting his ability to travel to sites to make accurate, first hand surveys. He submitted his map in 1853 and was ordered to have the map engraved on copper and supply copies to various state officials. The map was sent to J. H. Colton in New York for engraving and printing.

William Eddy’s map was the best of the state of California up to this time, however, Eddy was unable to ascertain critical information resulting in errors that eventually met with harsh criticism. In fact, the map was criticized by government and military officials as “disgraceful”. One major error in Eddy’s map showed the Colorado River running to the east, but the river was found to run almost north. Also county boundaries were still obscure in areas, as it had been difficult for Eddy to obtain accurate data from county surveyors who were mostly unaware themselves.

In spite of the critics, Eddy’s map of the state of California was a substantial improvement over the commercial maps previously published. For the first time the map showed the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in approximately the correct location. It also showed Lake Bigler, whose name officially changed to Lake Tahoe in 1863, very close to its actual position. Also the beautiful, large scale of the map allowed Eddy to depict many mines, ranches, trails and routes. The Oregon Trail is prominent to the north, and Fremont’s route of 1844 is equally prominent in the south. The inset of San Francisco is based upon Eddy’s map of 1851.

Eddy’s California map was further reviewed and determined not up to the standards of an “Official Map” thus tossed aside. It was not until 1873 that California had an accurate map of the state produced by the California Geological Survey. That map was based on a trigonometric survey of the whole state that took over 10 years of work to produce.

This map is currently on display at Arader Galleries' 432 Jackson Street location in San Francisco.

A wonderful trip to Hidcote Manor Gardens in Gloucestershire

Hidcote Manor is a delightful surprise, hidden down a series of twisting country lanes in the Cotswolds. I had the opportunity to pay these incredible gardens a visit last month and spend time in the many ‘rooms’ of this fabulous estate run by The National Trust, Europe’s largest conservation organization.

The gardens at Hidcote Manor were designed and developed by Maj. Lawrence Johnston, a wealthy and well educated American, scion of a Baltimore stock broking family, who became a naturalized British subject and fought with the British Army in the Boer and First World Wars. Johnston was an avid plant collector and horticulturalist who sponsored and participated in plant hunting expeditions to secure rare and exotic species for this truly unbelievable garden.

Maj. Johnston's mother, Gertrude Winthrop, bought the Hidcote estate for her son in 1907. During the 1920s and 30s, Johnston worked with 12 full time gardeners to design and plant the garden. He was advised by many of the top artists and garden designers of the day including Alfred Parsons and Gertrude Jekyll. Johnston traveled the world in his search for unusual plants, participating in plant collecting expeditions to the Swiss Alps, the Andes, South Africa, Kenya, Burma, the South of France, Formosa, the Maritime Alps and the Atlas Mountains. Johnston is known to have introduced more than 40 new plants to the United Kingdom. Many of them now bear his name.

Hope you will enjoy these recent photos and plan a trip the next time you find yourself in London. It is just a 2 hours drive from the city center.