Item #1550 [A MAP OF EUROPEAN COLONIZATION OF AFRICA, SHOWING THE NEWLY-OPENED TRANSPORTATION LINE BETWEEN ITALY AND SOUTH AFRICA] Africa. A. Dardano.
[A MAP OF EUROPEAN COLONIZATION OF AFRICA, SHOWING THE NEWLY-OPENED TRANSPORTATION LINE BETWEEN ITALY AND SOUTH AFRICA] Africa
[A MAP OF EUROPEAN COLONIZATION OF AFRICA, SHOWING THE NEWLY-OPENED TRANSPORTATION LINE BETWEEN ITALY AND SOUTH AFRICA] Africa

[A MAP OF EUROPEAN COLONIZATION OF AFRICA, SHOWING THE NEWLY-OPENED TRANSPORTATION LINE BETWEEN ITALY AND SOUTH AFRICA] Africa

Bergamo: Istituto Italiano D’arti Grafiche, 1933. Item #1550

Folder: Original printed wrappers. 35.6x22.4 cm. Edges with tears, light foxing. Otherwise in a very condition. Map: Large folding color map “Navigazione Libera Triestina” ca. 103.5x86.5 cm, dissected into 12 parts. Scale: 1:10,000,000. Folding marks, two small tears at the folds. Otherwise in a very good condition.

A historically important and one of the earliest maps, documenting both European colonization of Africa and Italy’s attempt to enter the distributive trade between South Africa and Europe.

Compiled only two months after the announcement that “the South African Government has completed a contract with… Navigazione Libera Triestina… to run vessels between South Africa and the Mediterranean ports” (The Daily Telegraph. September 9, 1933), the map represents one of the earliest cartographic pieces to document the newly-opened transportation line.

From 1890 to 1941, Italian colonialism in Africa included the present-day countries of Libya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia. Sixty years of Italian colonial experience went down in history as arguably one of the most brutal forms of imperialism, during which almost 1 million people died due to war, deportations, and internment. While the Italian Army resorted to widespread summary executions, torture, and mass incarceration in Libya, the Fascists executed over 20,000 civilians and deployed chemical attacks in Ethiopia. Similar actions took place during the Italian colonization of Somalia and Eritrea. Italian colonialism was also heavily marked by racist separation: laws banning mixed marriages were introduced in Eritrea in 1933 and in Ethiopia in 1937. Colonial administrations also created separate facilities for Italians and Africans. Although such racist sentiments declined after the Italian surrender in WWII, there were still apparent in the second of the 20th century.

Dated 1933, the map shows colonial possessions of major European countries in Africa: Great Britain (Gambia, Sierra Leone, Costa D’oro, Nigeria, Sudan Anglo-Egiziano, Kenya Colony, Cape Colony, etc.), France (Madagascar, French West Africa, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Somalia French, French Equatorial Africa, etc.), Italy (Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia), Spain (Rio Muni, Fernando-Po, Canarie Islands, Spanish Sahara, Spanish Morocco, etc.), Belgium (Belgian Congo and Ruand-Urundi), and Portugal (Angolia, Mozambique, Guinea, Cape Verde, Sao Tome and Principe). The colonies of each European country are marked with a specific color. The map also shows the only three independent states in Africa at the time: Egypt, Liberia, and Ethiopia. Importantly, the map was designed only three years before Italian occupation of Ethiopia as a result of which over 95% of the continent came under the rule of external powers.

Other countries depicted on the map are the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Persia, Iraq, Kuwait, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, eastern parts of the Soviet Union, etc.

The map also documents navigation lines that connected Africa with Europe and were operated by the vessels of the Italian shipping company “Libera Navigazione Triestina.” The orange line shows the company’s transportation route from Italy to Congo, through the ports of Venezia, Trieste, Fiume, Spalato, Napoli, Livorno, etc. Importantly, the red line depicts the newly-opened South African route: “Under the new contract… liners… travel [from Cape Town] direct to Marseilles in fourteen days.” (The Daily Telegraph. September 9, 1933). The map was most likely compiled to document this major step forward for Italy’s economy. The other lines show connections between the sea ports, completed and under-construction railway lines, and principal caravan routes. The map also shows the directions of “Libera Triestina’s” navigation lines from Italy to Mexico, California, Canada, and North Atlantic. The company was dissolved in 1937 following the state project to reorganize and rationalize the maritime services.

The map was issued by the Cartographic department of the Ministry of Colonies (1912-1953) in Bergamo in 1933. The Ministry was in charge of the country’s colonial possessions and the direction of their economies. The map was compiled and designed by the Italian geographer, cartographer, and director of the Cartographic Department of the Ministry, Archille Dardano (1870-1938). Active in the Cartographic department since the early days of its existence, Archille created a large number of colonial maps and collaborated on the creation of the Italian Encyclopedia, designing approximately 1500 maps that accompany the text.

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