La "pieuvre britannique" - L'Angleterre dans le nord de l'Ocean Indien [The British Octopus - England in the North Indian Ocean]
- Title:
- La "pieuvre britannique" - L'Angleterre dans le nord de l'Ocean Indien [The British Octopus - England in the North Indian Ocean]
- Alternate Title:
- The British Octopus - England in the North Indian Ocean
- Collection:
- Persuasive Maps: PJ Mode Collection
- Creator:
- Baladiez, Nicolas
- Date:
- 1905
- Posted Date:
- 2017-04-14
- ID Number:
- 2149.01
- Collection Number:
- 8548
- File Name:
- PJM_2149_01.jpg
- Style/Period:
- 1900 - 1919
- Subject:
- Other War & Peace
Politics & Government
Satirical
Pictorial
Imperialism - Measurement:
- 12 X 12 (centimeters, height x width)
- Notes:
- This map from a French publication shows the aggressive reach of the British Imperial "octopus" on the Arabian peninsula and the horn of Africa in 1905. One tentacle stretches toward the British colony in the Sudan and the British presence in Aden (administered as part of British India) and its offshore islands, Perim and Socotora. Another touches the horn of Africa (labeled "à l'Angl.") at the site of the protectorate then known as British Somaliland. Two other tentacles reach up either side of the Persian Gulf, one toward the British protectorate of Kuwait and the other toward Bagdad, still under Ottoman rule. This map appeared in the French weekly "Journal des Voyages - Aventures de Terre et de Mer," a magazine featuring a mix of factual stories on travel and exploration with fictional and fantasy accounts, all heavily illustrated.
The octopus is a persistent trope in persuasive cartography. It first appeared in Frederick Rose's "Serio-Comic War Map For The Year 1877," ID #2272, about the Russo-Turkish War. "Once Fred W. Rose had created the 'Octopus' map of Europe, it proved difficult to rid propaganda maps of them." Barber 2010, 164. "The prevalence of the octopus motif in later maps suggests that the octopus also spoke to humanity's primeval fears, evoking a terrifying and mysterious creature from the depths (the dark outer places of the world) that convincingly conjured a sense of limitless evil." Baynton-Williams 2015, 180.
The collection includes numerous maps - from Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Latin America, the Netherlands and the U.S. - employing the octopus motif. (Search > “octopus”.) Many of these relate to imperialism and war, from 1877 to the Cold War. Others attack social and political targets, including a "reactionary" journalist, the Standard Oil monopoly, “Landlordism,” mail order houses, Jews and Mormons.
For further information on the Collector’s Notes and a Feedback/Contact Link, see https://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/content/about-collection-personal-statement and https://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/content/feedback-and-contact - Source:
- Journal des Voyages - Aventures de Terre et de Mer. May 7, 1905. Paris: Librairie Illustree.
- Cite As:
- P.J. Mode collection of persuasive cartography, #8548. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
- Repository:
- Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library
- Archival Collection:
- P.J. Mode collection of persuasive cartography
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- For important information about copyright and use, see http://persuasivemaps.library.cornell.edu/copyright.