1959 Map of Sunken Treasure: History of Piracy and Spanish Gold Fleets, Old Wreck Locations, Recovered Treasure, Salvage, Identification, Florida and the Caribbean
DESCRIPTION
A spectacular blend of cartography, pirate lore, and mid-century illustration, this colorful map charts the shipwrecks and lost treasures of the Caribbean while surrounding them with pirates, Spanish galleons, diving expeditions, and artifacts recovered from beneath the sea.
History of Pirates, Shipwrecks & Spanish Gold
Published in 1959, Map of Sunken Treasure: History of Piracy and Spanish Gold Fleets, Old Wreck Locations, Recovered Treasure, Salvage, Identification, Florida and the Caribbean was created and published by Fred W. Logan and Jay Scott Pike. The partnership was unusually well suited to the subject. Logan was an underwater photographer, archaeologist, and treasure hunter who participated in Caribbean wreck exploration and archaeological expeditions, while Pike was a successful commercial and comic-book illustrator whose work appeared extensively for Atlas/Marvel and later DC Comics.
Centered on the Caribbean basin from Mexico and Florida to Hispaniola and the northern coast of South America, the map identifies 24 known wrecks, pirate strongholds, Spanish treasure routes, recovered artifacts, and sites associated with famous episodes of piracy and salvage. Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Hispaniola, Florida, and the Central American coast are filled with historical notes concerning wrecks and lost cargoes. Around the borders, dramatic illustrations depict Blackbeard, Sir Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd, Spanish treasure fleets, shipwrecks, underwater excavation, and the techniques used by modern divers to locate and identify wrecks. Along the bottom are drawings of actual recovered coins, weapons, jewelry, cannon, anchors, navigational instruments, and other artifacts.
Treasure Hunting Becomes a Modern Pursuit
The map appeared at an especially interesting moment in the history of underwater exploration. Improvements in SCUBA equipment during the 1950s opened previously inaccessible wreck sites to amateur and professional divers, fueling enormous popular interest in treasure hunting. Logan was part of this emerging world and brought genuine archaeological experience to a subject often dominated by legend. Consequently, the map repeatedly distinguishes documented wrecks and archaeological evidence from the romantic stories surrounding pirates and buried treasure.
Published just as recreational diving and underwater archaeology were gaining widespread attention, it captures the moment when centuries-old tales of Caribbean treasure suddenly seemed accessible to a new generation of explorers.
CONDITION
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