1911 Rodrigues Economic Map of Brazil during Rubber Boom



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Title: Carte Economique du BreÃÅsil

Description: A fascinating large format 1911 thematic map of Brazil illustrating natural and economic resources at the height of the Rubber Boom (1879 - 1912). The map was prepared by the civil engineer Alvaro José Rodrigues for the Brazil Ministério da Agricultura. The map coves all of Brazil in impressive detail with various natural and farmed resources indicated, including sugar, cotton, tobacco, horses, minerals, fish, coffee, goats, résines (rubber), diamonds, phosphorus, medicinal plants, and more. Charts in the lower left quadrant illustrate export production in 1908 and 1909, where the United States, Germany, and Great Britain, the world's largest auto producers at the time, receive the bulk of the imports.
Rubber Boom
The Amazon Rubber Boom at its height is illustrated on this map, which not only identifies rubber regions, but also offers a detailed delineation of villages and communities in the farthest reaches of the Amazon. The advent of the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the automobile created an insatiable rubber demand in America and Europe. Rubber trees produce a natural latex coveted by rubber and tire producers all over the world. At the time, these trees were not cultivated and grew naturally only deep in the Amazon rainforest where latex collection was a dangerous and labor-intensive process. Nonetheless, the persistent need for rubber and the harsh demands of the environment which produced it, led to the rise of rubber barons defined by fast fortunes, horrific cruelty, and outlandish excess. Tales of rubber barons bringing European opera troupes and ballet companies deep in to the rainforest, building personal menageries of exotic animals, and other extravagances, were commonplace during the height of the boom. So too were tales of their atrocities, specifically the enslavement and murder of thousands of indigenous Amazonian tribespeople. But the rubber barons were not without competition. Around 1912, British investors created vast plantations in their East India colonies, particularly Malaysia and Borneo, which were able to produce latex more efficiently, leading to a collapse in the global rubber market. As quickly as the rubber boom came, it also vanished, and along with it the fortunes it created.

This map is well represented in various institutional collections but is rare to the market. It was prepared by the Brazilian civil engineer Alvaro José Rodrigues for the Ministre de L'Agriculture. The map was printed in Brazil by Hartmann-Reichenbach.

Size: Printed area measures 38 inches high by 38.5 inches wide.

Condition: Very good. Minor verso repairs to several small tears.




Shipping: Shipping rates are not negotiable. Items are shipped within three business days of receiving payment. We are happy to consolidate shipping where possible. The following shipping options are available:
1. FedEx Overnight (45 USD). USA Only. Signature Required.
2. FedEx Ground or Home Delivery (15 USD). USA Only. 1 - 10 days. If your address is a P.O. Box and cannot ship FedEx we will ship USPS Priority and, while we ship promptly, recent postal personnel cutbacks mean that delivery may take time. Signature Required.
3. FedEx International or DHL International EXPRESS (45 USD).
4. We can use your FedEx Account.

Customs: International buyers are responsible for paying duty and taxes on delivery. DHL or FedEx will contact the buyer by telephone to arrange tax payment if it is levied. Duty varies by country and we cannot predict the amount you will be charged. Some countries are duty free, others are not. Typically, a customs duty and/or VAT tax will be assessed on all parcels to continental Europe. Sometimes duty or tax is due in China, but is seems very random. Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan have never assessed duty on a map we shipped. Maps shipped to the UK should be duty free as educational materials, but from time to time duty of 5% is assessed incorrectly by the UK customs agents.

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Conservation Framing: Geographicus recommends basic conservation framing services for any antique paper. We do not offer this service.

Antique Map Restoration: Geographicus can repair and restore your antique map. Services include deacidification cleaning flattening and backing.


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