World maps & models
The World, on Mercator’s Projection
Historical recordAntarctic omission reflects incomplete polar mapping; it does not imply physical nonexistence.
What this record establishes
Institutional record documented; does not authenticate interpretations.
Record details
- Artifact date
- 1840
- Creator
- A & C Black
- Holding institution
- Library of Congress / World Digital Library
- Classification
- Mercator projection
Antarctica connection
Antarctica omitted from historical map
Relevance and caution
Antarctic omission reflects incomplete polar mapping; it does not imply physical nonexistence.
Catalog context
Curatorial navigation label; original categories and source identity retained.

Historical map from the 1840 General Atlas of the World. Antarctica is not depicted; absence reflects contemporary cartographic coverage, not proof of concealment.
George Aikman, engraver; Adam and Charles Black, Edinburgh (1840). Qatar National Library, World Digital Library / Library of Congress, LCCN 2021668708.
Image source record · Reuse terms
Image rights and evidence limits
LOC World Digital Library reports no known copyright or other restrictions; free use and reuse absent restrictions.
Image existence does not prove a linked claim. Consult image-specific captions and reuse conditions.
Sources and what they support
Links document the record, the claim’s circulation, an assessment, or reuse terms as labeled. A source link is not automatically corroboration.
- image reproduction provenance; not proof of a linked interpretationhttps://www.loc.gov/item/2021668708/
- image reuse conditionshttps://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_17585/
- institutional or documentary recordhttps://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcwdl.wdl_17585/
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