Description

This pleasing little map of Cuba, printed entirely with Spanish text, is from Pierre Toussaint Frédéric “Federico” Miahle’s famous portfolio of Cuban views, Album Pintoresco de la Isla de Cuba (Berlin, 1855).

The map features a sophisticated overview of Cuba’s transportation network as it stood during the middle of the 19^th Century, at a time of great economic and infrastructure development.  The ‘Referencias,’ in the lower right corner, note the different symbols employed to designate the ‘Camino Real’ (the Royal or King’s Road); ‘Ferro Carril (Railways)’ that are either ‘construido’ (constructed), ‘en construccion’ (under construction), and ‘proyecto’ (planned, but not yet commenced); as well as the island’s political divisions and settlements of various sizes.

Importantly, the map features the Cuban railway network at a relatively early stage in its development.  The first railway in Cuba was built by the Compania de Caminos de Hierro de La Habana, which ran a length of track from Havana to Bejucal, which commenced operation in 1837.  It was the first railway line in Latin America, predating the first railway in Metropolitan Spain.  As shown on the map, by this time the line, with its various spurs, had been extended all the way to reach Muriel, Matanzas, Guines and Cardenas.  One will also note other isolated lines: between Villa Clara and Cienfuegos; Puerto Principe (Camaguey) and Nuevita; and Santiago an El Cobre; while several other liens are shown to be under construction or in the planning stages.

The lower left centre of the map features a ‘Tabla Iteneraria’ showing the distances between numerous places along with a table recording the latitude and longitudes of those places.

Pierre-Toussaint-Frédéric Mialhe (1810 – 1868) was a French painter who is most renowned for his views of Cuba made during his lengthy residence on the island, from 1838 to 1854.  An exceedingly talented artist, he managed to capture the tropical vibrancy of Cuba in his richly colorful oil paintings.  Many of his works were lithographed, becoming the first popular views of Cuba that were internationally obtainable.  In this sense, Miahle is perhaps more responsible that anyone else for the global image of Cuba during the heady days of the second half of the 19^th Century.

Miahle first published his portfolio of 25 coloured lithographic views and 2 maps under the title Viaje Pintoresco al Rededor de la Isla de Cuba (Havana: Louis Marquier, 1847-8).  This original Cuban edition is today incredible rare.  The portfolio was pirated (twice!) by the shifty Havana publisher Bernardo May, who had the work printed in Berlin by the firm of Storch & Kramer under the title Album Pintoresco de la Isla de Cuba, in 1853 and 1855.  Miahle and Marquier sued May for copyright infringement, but the latter got off on a technicality.  The present map was issued as part of the pirated 1855 Berlin edition, should not to be confused with the map of the same title that appeared in the 1847-8 Havana and the 1853 Berlin editions of Miahle’s portfolio (which featured the same base map, but surrounded by 16 inset views).  The present map rarely appears separately on the market.

References: Cf. Emilio Cueto, Miahle’s Colonial Cuba (Miami: Historical Association of Southern Florida, 1994),  pp. 73-77; Sylvie Mégevand, ‘Pierre-Toussaint-Frédéric Mialhe, un lithographe gascon à Cuba (1838-1854),’ Caravelle, Year 2001 vol. 76, issue 1 (2001), pp. 443-53.