[ISHMap-List] query re Chinese maps showing USA as "Salem"

[Matthew Edney]

Dear All:

A colleague from Salem State Universtity (yes, that Salem, home of the "witches" and major 19c port for the US-China trade) sent me the following query.

> I have a little map mystery on my hands and wonder if you might have any advice:  
> 
> In several secondary sources, there is reference to a map, produced in China or India (the sources vary on this point, depicting the United States (so post-1783), and with the name "SALEM" written across the continent.  The curious thing is that no one, including colleagues at the Peabody Essex Museum, have searched for this for years and have not turned it up.
> 
> Do you have have any thoughts/suggestions?  I am beginning to think the story may be apocraphylic.

The idea of a map that names "USA" as "Salem" seems to ring a bell . . . but I'm finding nothing. Any ideas?

Thanks,

Matthew


---------------------

Matthew Edney

Osher Professor in the History of Cartography (USM)

Director, History of Cartography Project (UW)

See http://www.maphistorydirectory.org/index.php/User:Edney.Matthew




-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lazarus.elte.hu/pipermail/ishm/attachments/20140604/de92fca3/attachment.html>