Featured Map of The Hague

I know this is based on a 17th century map (that has more text in Latin), and here https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/...ven-Hage_(titel_op_object),_RP-P-AO-12-9K.jpg is one that looks more like mine, and the dating info says: 1657 and/or ca. 1698 - 1728
Here https://www.redbubble.com/i/postcar...intage-Map-1840-by-BravuraMedia/52695921/vk5y someone's selling a postcard with that map, and says it's an 1840 map.

Is it possible to tell by the paper when this was made?

 

That is a cool map! Google AI info:
Seventeenth-century paper was a handmade, plant-based material primarily composed of fermented linen and cotton rags. To create a durable surface for writing with quill and ink, makers applied an animal gelatin size. A key compositional shift occurred in the mid-1600s with the widespread addition of alum.
American Institute for Conservation +4
Seventeenth-century paper differs greatly from modern, wood-pulp-based paper. The primary components of historical rag paper included:
Conservatree.org

• Fibers: The base material consisted of cellulose fibers sourced from discarded linen, hemp, and cotton textiles. Coarser plant fibers and straw were sometimes added for lower-quality or brown paper.
• Sizing Agent: Animal hide glue (gelatin) was used to coat the sheets. This prevented writing inks from bleeding into the fibrous paper.
• Chemical Additives: A major 17th-century innovation was the introduction of alum (potassium aluminum sulfate). Papermakers added it to the gelatin size to harden it and prevent the glue from putrefying.
• Bleaching Agents: Because advanced chemical bleaches were unavailable, makers relied on pure water and prolonged sun-bleaching of the raw textile fibers.
  UCSB English Broadside Ballad Archive +6

Historical Impact
The introduction of alum improved production efficiency and mold resistance. However, it dramatically increased the acidity of the paper. This acidity contributes heavily to the "slow fires" and brittle, yellowed condition of many surviving 17th-century texts.
American Institute for Conservation +2

 

Curious to know what @2manybooks & @moreotherstuff can say about / add to this AI info

 

The use of alum compounds (aluminum potassium sulfate and aluminum sulfate), and their role in increasing acidity in paper, is more complex than indicated in the AI summary. The use of aluminum potassium sulfate for hardening gelatin sizing appears as early as the 16th century. A more concentrated form of aluminum sulfate became available in the 19th century. Both forms were referred to as "alum". The most adverse effects appear in the 19th century, with the introduction of a mixture of alum (aluminum sulfate) and rosin used as sizing in the 1820s.

This graph charts the increasing prevalence of aluminum compounds in book papers, and the corresponding drop in pH over time. (For those of us far from our chemistry classes, the pH scale runs from 1-14, 1 being highly acidic, 14 being highly alkaline, 7 being neutral.) -

https://cool.culturalheritage.org/byorg/abbey/an/an17/an17-4/an17-407.html

https://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Alum_rosin_size

The slight improvement shown in the 20th century (which has largely continued) is due to the recognition of the problems being caused by potentially acidic additives in the papermaking processes.

 

Thank you @2manybooks

I fit this description

And your thoughts/verdict regarding the age of the map?

 

I would not want to venture a guess as to age. Maps such as this have been frequently reproduced over the centuries, and it often takes close examination by a specialist to determine what printing method was used. But one clue would be if it is on laid paper, which you can determine by holding it up to the light. There have been a number of threads discussing how to recognize laid paper on the forum.

 

It's framed, but one of these days I will take it out of the frame to do this

 

Another member who may be able to offer an informed opinion is @Ex Libris .

 

To determine the age of the paper it is useful to hold a strong light behind the paper. You should see a pattern like this:



This is the structure of so called laid paper which was made mostly before around 1850 (pre-industrial revolution). Sometimes you can see a watermark or a part of it.

 

In additon to a paper comparison... The original map was 38 cm x 53 cm and center-fold. It also had text on the back.

https://www.abebooks.it/mappe/HAGA-COMITIS-Vulgo-GRAVEN-HAGE-Johannes-Janssonius/31089674155/bd

Debora