North Atlantic Ocean, West Indies - Vintage map, Norman B. Leventhal Collection

Using the latest advances in modern technology for gathering depth soundings and generating automated cartography, this chart was prepared primarily for navigational purposes, testifying to sailors' continual quest for obtaining the most reliable information since the 16th century for navigating the treacherous waters of the Caribbean. It not only displays an extensive number of depth soundings throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, but it also displays undersea contour lines suggesting the topography of the ocean floor. The shallowest areas, adjacent to the islands and mainland, are colored blue emphasizing waters that should be traversed cautiously. In contrast to the colonial maps published from the 17th to 19th centuries, this modern chart demonstrates that by the end of the 20th century, none of the West Indian islands or the mainland territories remained colonial possessions. Most are now independent countries, while a few are self-governing administrative units of the original mother countries.
Courtesy of Boston Public Library