Map of Havana

Title: Plano de la Habana

Estéban Pichardo (1799-1879) was one of Cuba’s most important figures in the area of scientific research in the 19th century and its leading representative in the fields of geography and cartography. Plano de la Habana (Map of Havana) is part of a larger work in 35 sheets, Carta Geo-hidro-topográfica de la Isla de Cuba (Geo-hydro-topographic map of the island of Cuba) that Esteban published in 1874–75.

Esteban adopted a set of geographic symbols very similar to those used in contemporary maps. His maps also reflected a high degree of mathematical sophistication and remained a major cartographic reference for Cuba up until almost a century later. They were used to help determine that the land area of Cuba was 124,500 square kilometers–a calculation far from reality (according to contemporary geographers, the area of Cuba is 109,884 square kilometers) – but of historical relevance for its time.

The map shows contemporary place-names, urban developments in different parts the growing city, streets, noteworthy structures, railroad lines, and the harbor.

Names

Pichardo y Tapia, Estéban, 1799-1879 Creator