Serio-Comic War Map for the year 1877 - Vintage Map Poster
Rare Political Caricature Map by Frederic Rose.
 
This intriguing political caricature map is commonly known as the 'Octopus Map' was created in 1877 .
 
This map takes for granted that you the reader, will be acquainted with the familiar shape of Europe and its constituent nations. The nations have been replaced by caricatures, each telling its own political account. As we all know, history repeats itself and in this most legendary map, Rose is responding to the Balkan Crises of 1877, in which Britain was thought to be threatened by the fanaticism of the Russian Tsar.

In Rose's own words:
“The Northern Colossus, Russia is represented in the form of a vicious looking Octopus, the head of which occupies the greater portion of European Russia, while, with its outstretched arms, it is extending marvellously in every direction, and embracing many countries in its grasp”.