Geographical Diagrams

In case you were wondering, the Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Cheops) really was the tallest building in 1850! This interesting print can be found in a set entitled Geographical Diagrams, published by James Reynolds in London. Reynolds was primarily a publisher of educational scientific and engineering diagrams and is best known for his prints on cards, such as this example. These were issued singly (some bearing the price of 1 shilling) or loosely bound as sets in a portfolio, some reissued from time to time with changes in design or publishers.

Reynolds frequently collaborated with the artist who created these prints, John Emslie (1813-1875), who was a British cartographer, artist, and bookplate engraver. Emslie designed, engraved, and (possibly) hand painted this series of charts and posters in response to the popular demand for information on the developments taking place in science and engineering as a result of the Industrial Revolution. The educational series ran from 1850 to 1860 and covered topics of geology, geography, astronomy, and natural philosophy.

The other prints present in Kent State’s set are primarily geographical in nature, including:  Geographical diagram of the Earth adapted for illustrating its movements -- Waterfalls -- Panoramic plan of the principal rivers and lakes -- Mountains -- Physical map of the world from the discoveries of the most eminent modern geographers -- Ethnographical map showing the distribution of the human race -- Zoological map showing the distribution of animals over the world [and] Zoological map showing the distribution of birds and reptiles over the world -- Tidal chart of the world, showing the progress of the wave of high water [and] Botanical map showing the distribution of the plants and their cultivation over the world.