Griffith, Richard John (1784-1878)

1839

(3) A General Map of Ireland to Accompany the Report of the Railway Commissioners

Hodges & N. Smith

Dublin

London

James Gardner

Dublin

London

Case Map

61

74

253,440

Ireland

(3) A General Map of Ireland to Accompany the Report of the Railway Commissioners shewing the Principal Physical Features and Geological Structure of the Country.

16105.004

4

Griffith, Richard John (1784-1878)

1839

A General Map of Ireland to Accompany the Report of the Railway Commissioners shewing the Principal Physical Features and Geological Structure of the Country.

See our 0337.000 for the 1855 edition of this map, showing new railroads. And our 10485.000 the geologically colored version of the same map. ""In Ireland, the map possesses the same pioneer status as is held in England and Wales by William Smith's map..." - Gordon L. Davies A Beautiful Copy of the Monumental Wall Map, Hand-Colored by Counties. A full original color example of Richard Griffith's masterwork, the first large-scale geological map of Ireland, published in Dublin in 1839. The present example bears the arms of the Ordinance Office of Ireland, which was established in 1824 and completed the first survey of Ireland in 1846. This enormous six-sheet map was produced for the National Railway Commission and shows the magnificent base topography of Ireland at the impressive quarter-inch to the mile-scale. The map represents the culmination of a quarter-century of labor by Richard Griffith, a key figure in mid-19th century Ireland, who it was said was involved in every major public works project of the time. The detail on the map is extraordinary, with topography, towns, loughs, roads, and much more shown throughout the country at a resolution of several hundred yards. Mines are marked on the map, including gold, iron, copper, lead, coal, and antimony diggings. Off the west coast of the country are additional key boxes that could be hand-colored. Griffith and the Early Geological Mapping of Ireland This vivid and detailed geological map of Ireland was originally conceived by George Bellas Greenough (1778-1855). In 1811, Greenough commissioned Richard Griffith to create a geological map of Ireland, which was likely showcased at Griffith's Dublin Society lectures in 1814. However, the project faced significant delays due to the lack of an accurate topographical base map. Griffith attempted to address this by conducting his own triangulation of Ireland from 1819 to 1824, but the subsequent arrival of the Ordnance Survey in 1825 rendered his efforts obsolete. In 1825, Griffith was appointed director of the General Boundary Survey of Ireland and, in 1827, commissioner of the General Survey and Valuation of Ratable Property. In his role as boundary survey director, Griffith was responsible for identifying and plotting all county, barony, parish, and townland boundaries, which were then represented on the Ordnance Survey's six-inch maps. Although his role as commissioner of valuation remained inactive until 1829, once the Ordnance Survey's cartographic work progressed, he commenced property valuation and resigned from his post as mining engineer to the Royal Dublin Society. Griffith conducted two major valuation surveys: the townland valuation (1830-c.1842) and the highly detailed tenement valuation (1852-65), commonly known as "the Griffith Valuation." He maintained that a thorough understanding of local solid geology was essential for accurate land valuation and instructed his staff in geological observations. These observations were primarily intended to enhance his geological map of Ireland. From 1835, Griffith operated an unofficial geological survey within the valuation office, employing Patrick Ganly solely for geological field investigations. Griffith's geological map, based on Aaron Arrowsmith's inaccurate Irish map, received positive acclaim when displayed at the British Association meeting in Dublin in August 1835. By October 1836, Griffith had become one of the four railway commissioners for Ireland, advocating that regional geology was crucial for planning the railway system. Consequently, the commissioners published his map in 1838 at a scale of 1:633,600, and in May 1839 at a scale of 1:253,440, based on a new Ordnance Survey map directed by Thomas Aiskew Larcom. This quarter-inch geological map solidified Griffith's reputation as "the father of Irish geology." It is known that made many editions of this manuscript map, slowly coloring in portions of the country as he and other geologists mapped ever-increasing portions of the island. However, it was thought that all examples of Griffith's manuscript maps were lost until the recent discovery of an annotated Alexander Taylor map appeared in the archives of the Geological Society. In 1838, Griffith published the first geological map of Ireland at a scale reduced from the present (1 inch to 10 miles). This map accompanied a railroad report which he was also involved in. In 1839, the enlarged and significantly more detailed version of his map appeared, which remained in circulation throughout the 19th century as the foremost authority on the geology of the country. Griffith retained the 1839 dating on the map until 1855 despite continuously updating the map with the work of other researchers. This practice drew criticism at the time as some felt that this practice suggested that he, in fact, discovered the newly depicted elements first. Perhaps to assuage this criticism, a member of the Irish Ordnance Survey (usually James Duncan) would often date the map in the lower right of each sheet. In addition, Griffith would sometimes change the date on the map himself when presenting to a scientific audience likely to know that the work on the map was not exclusively his own. States of the map This is the first state of the map. The map would later be re-engraved to refine the geological information presented in 1855. The second state of the map includes additional cross-sections as well as a list of the principal fossils to be found in the region. The proof copy of this state was ready in 1855, but copies of that edition colored with geological information were ready only from 1856. Rarity The map is scarce. Only nine examples are listed in OCLC. Condition Description Full original wash color. Segmented and laid on 6 sheet of linen. Some surface soiling. Original leather slipcase with armorial gilt emblem on front panel (Ordnance Office of Ireland) Reference Notes on the various issues of Sir Richard Griffith's quarter-inch Geological Map of Ireland, 1839-1855. Richard Griffith Biography Richard Griffith, a pioneering figure in Irish geology, was born in 1784. His significant contributions to the field began when George Bellas Greenough commissioned him in 1811 to create a geological map of Ireland. Despite initial setbacks due to the lack of an accurate topographical base map, Griffith's early version of the map was likely showcased at his Dublin Society lectures in 1814. To address the deficiencies in available maps, Griffith embarked on his own triangulation of Ireland from 1819 to 1824. However, the establishment of the Ordnance Survey in 1825 rendered his efforts redundant. That same year, Griffith was appointed director of the General Boundary Survey of Ireland, and in 1827, he became commissioner of the General Survey and Valuation of Rateable Property. In his boundary survey role, Griffith was responsible for identifying and plotting all county, barony, parish, and townland boundaries, which were then represented on the Ordnance Survey's six-inch maps. As commissioner of valuation, Griffith conducted two major surveys: the townland valuation (1830-c.1842) and the tenement valuation (1852-65), known as "the Griffith Valuation." He emphasized the importance of understanding local geology for accurate land valuation, instructing his staff in geological observations primarily aimed at improving his geological map of Ireland. From 1835, Griffith operated an unofficial geological survey within the valuation office, employing Patrick Ganly for geological field investigations. Griffith's geological map, based on Aaron Arrowsmith's inaccurate Irish map, received positive acclaim when displayed at the British Association meeting in Dublin in August 1835. By October 1836, Griffith had become one of the four railway commissioners for Ireland, advocating for the importance of regional geology in planning the railway system. The commissioners published his map in 1838 at a scale of 1:633,600, and in May 1839 at a scale of 1:253,440, based on a new Ordnance Survey map directed by Thomas Aiskew Larcom. This quarter-inch geological map established Griffith's reputation as "the father of Irish geology." The map underwent continuous revision before 1855 and was featured at the Universal Exhibition in Paris that year. Despite Griffith's efforts, he was not appointed as director of the official Geological Survey of Ireland, established by the government in April 1845. " (Ruderman, 2024)

16105.000

Case Map

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28

18

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Griffith, Richard John (1784-1878)