"A New Chart [or Map] of the World, on Mercator's Projection" is one of the most historically significant plates produced by the legendary English cartographer John Cary. First published individually on 21 December 1801, it was subsequently featured in his landmark publication, Cary's New Universal Atlas (1808).
Reflecting the extent of global knowledge in 1801, the map features highly detailed coastlines and continental interiors but leaves the Arctic and Antarctic regions completely blank or unresolved. Antarctica is missing entirely, as it was not officially sighted until 1820.
Engraved on copper plate, it shows Cary's signature style—clean lines, precise text over heavy decoration, and vibrant, hand-painted original watercolor washes to outline nations and territories.
Cary served his apprenticeship as an engraver in London, before setting up his own business in the Strand in 1783. He soon gained a reputation for his maps and globes. He published 'The New and Correct English Atlas' in 1787, which soon became a standard reference work in England.
In 1794 Cary was commissioned by the Postmaster General to survey England's roads. This resulted in Cary's 'New Itinerary', published in 1798, containing maps of all the major roads in England and Wales. He also produced Ordnance Survey maps prior to 1805.
Cary's New Universal Atlas, is a landmark of early 19th-century map making. It represented a shift from the decorative, artistic maps of the 18th century toward a more modern, scientific approach prioritising clarity, accuracy, and meticulous detail.
The 1808 edition featured 56 hand-coloured, engraved maps covering all major states and kingdoms worldwide, including highly detailed maps of England and Wales.
Cary replaced the "quaintness and charm" of older maps with a scientific rationality, using the latest surveying techniques to establish a standard that later influenced the Ordnance Survey.
The atlas was so popular it was reissued at least seven times over the next 30 years.
