Archivists find new copy of 'Map that Changed the World'

Eric Hopton for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

“I have often times wished for a mappe of England, coloured according to the colours of the earth; with markes of the fossils and minerals.”

So wrote John Aubrey in his book ‘The Natural History of Wiltshire” in 1691. Aubrey would have had to wait until 1815 to see his wish fulfilled. It was in that year that William Smith produced his ground-breaking Geological Map of England and Wales. Aubrey would not have been disappointed. Smith’s map was a scientific first. It was also a thing of great beauty, as these online images reveal.

Smith (1769-1839) is often referred to as “The Father of English Geology”. Before his own map, there had been other attempts at geological maps but these had only signified rocks by type. They were therefore technically ‘mineralogical’ maps. What Smith did was to also classify the rocks according to age and the way in which they were deposited. His was the first “stratigraphic” map. As such, it was not just the first of its kind in mapping Great Britain; it was the first stratigrahic map of any country in the world.

Now Geological Society archivists have rediscovered a rare early copy of the map, which Smith called ‘A Delineation of the Strata of England and Wales, with part of Scotland; exhibiting the collieries and mines, the marshes and fen lands originally overflowed by the sea, and the varieties of soil according to the variations in the substrata, illustrated by the most descriptive names’. This version of the map had been lost for many years. Copies have been digitized and made available online in time for the start of celebrations of the map’s 200th anniversary. Naturalist and TV presenter Sir David Attenborough will mark the start of the celebrations by unveiling a plaque at Smith’s former residence.

Importance cannot be overstated

The newly discovered copy is probably one of the first ten produced. In all, Smith produced around 370 copies but each one was carefully painted by hand. The map has been digitized and, as well as the online version, the original will be on display at the Geological Society at a number of events as part of the bicentennialcelebrations.

Smith became the pioneer of the science of stratigraphy and geological mapping and his method was the model for all future geological maps of Britain. It was a major influence on future geological surveys all over the world. Smith’s map represented a huge advance in our understanding of the geology which shapes the world around us. It revealed for the first time the location of coal, iron ore, clays and other raw materials which were to be the driving force behind the industrial revolution. Smith’s use of fossils to date rocks allowed him to calculate a relative chronology, to identify strata of the same age, and to show where they occur at the surface.

Writing on the Geological Society website, John Henry, Chair of the Society’s History of Geology Group, said “Smith’s importance to the history of our science cannot be overstated. His map is a remarkable piece of work. It helped shape the economic and scientific development of Britain, at a time before geological surveys existed. These maps are extremely rare. Each one is a treasure, and to have one of the very first produced is tremendously exciting.”

Victoria Woodcock, who was then working as an Archive Assistant at the GS, found the map in 2014 during an audit of the Society’s archives led by Geological Society Archivist Caroline Lam. Woodcock did not realize at first just what she had discovered but, once she had identified it she described the find as “definitely the highlight of my career so far!”

A lost treasure

Collectors value Smith maps highly and an early copy was recently on sale at £150,000. Though the Society records show that it was originally bought for only £5 and 5 shillings, this latest map may be particularly valuable. It was identified as a first edition due to its lack of serial number, and geological features which Smith was known to have updated on later versions. Also, during its time “lost in the archive”, it has rarely been exposed to light which has helped retain the original vivid colors.

“We’re incredibly excited by the discovery” says Geological Society President Professor David Manning. “It’s wonderful that the map has been restored and made publicly available in time for the bicentennial celebrations, and we’re very grateful to the sponsors who have made this possible.”

In his centenary history of the Geological Society, Horace B Woodward, (1908) describes the map as “a work of genius planned and executed single handed” and it would be remiss if the bicentenary of its publication passed unnoticed.

For more information, check out Simon Winchester’s The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology.

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