Born 1750-Died 1823: Arrowsmith was a late 18th century cartographer.[1] Following in the footsteps of Rennell, he employed critical compilation into his work, honing in on concrete and accurate details in mapping Africa. As with many cartographers of the time, Arrowsmith sought out to be a leading cartographer, “the greater the authority of the mapmaker, the greater the impression the map will have in shaping the public’s perception of an area.”[2] He published a map of Africa, in 1802, dedicating it to the African Association and Mungo Park.[3] Arrowsmith’s work lifted him up in the realm of politics and cartography, as later in his life, he became “hydrographer to the King of England and Geographer to the prince of Wales.”[4]
[1] Elizabeth Baigent, “Arrowsmith, Aaron, the elder,” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/698?docPos=1.
[2] Thomas J. Bassett and Philip W. Porter, “From the Best Authorities’: The Mountains of Kong in the Cartography of West Africa.” Journal of African History, 32, no. 3 (1991): 370.
[3] “Map of Africa (1802),” Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, date accessed April 26, 2012, http://www.monticello.org/site/house-and-gardens/map-africa-1802.
[4] “Arrowsmith, Aaron (1750-1823),” Donald A. Heald, date accessed April 27, 2012, http://www.donaldheald.com/maps/World/maps_list_01.php?cat=World.
