Description

The Nautical Magazine first appeared in 1832, and was published monthly well into the twenty-first century. It covers a wide range of subjects including navigation, meteorology, technology and safety. It also includes reports on military and scientific expeditions and on current affairs, and is an important resource for maritime historians. The thirty-nine volumes in this set were published under the periodical's founding editor, A. B. Becher (1796-1876). During his editorship, the magazine covered the Opium Wars and the Crimean War, emigration to Australia and New Zealand, major expeditions in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions, the rapid development of steam power, the opening of the Suez Canal, the laying of the Atlantic Cable and the establishment of lifeboat stations and lighthouses around the British coast. Announcing his retirement, Becher remarked that the magazine's 'efforts for the improvement of all that concerns the seaman's benefit' had been a 'labour of love'.