Jodocus Hondius the younger first published his Atlas Minor in 1607 as a reduced scale version of Mercator's Atlas, the plates of which he had purchased and continued to issue. There were several later editions of the Atlas Minor by various publishers and with plates re-engraved. Between 1628 and 1651 Jan Jansson first published editions in Latin, French, German and Dutch. For the German edition of 1651 he added 8 new maps of English counties, including this map of Cambridgeshire engraved by Peter van den Keere. These maps only appeared in this edition and are today uncommon.

John Speed's maps of the English and Welsh counties are amongst the most decorative of early, British cartographic work, and are eagerly sought after today. They were first published in 1611 in The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine, designed as a companion volume to Speed's History of Great Britaine. The maps were based on the earlier surveys of Saxton, Norden and a few others, with engraving contracted to Jodocus Hondius whose signature appears on 33 of the maps. Speed's greatest innovation was the inclusion of inset plans of major towns and cities. Although some were copied from earlier work, for many towns this was first plan ever published. Speed's county atlas was re-issued a number of times for a period of around 160 years, with new publishers making various small changes and updates to the maps over time. This example bears the imprint of Sudbury and Humble dating it to one of the earliest editions between 1611 and 1614. A couple of minor repaired marginal tears not impinging the printed area. The colouring is less skilful than the best examples, but still an attractive example of this popular map.

Jan Jansson was one of Amsterdam's leading 17th century mapmakers, and a close rival to the Blaeu family. His multi-volume world atlas first saw the introduction of 6 maps of individual English counties into the German edition of 1636, and a further 11 of English and Welsh counties in the Dutch edition of 1644. But when Jansson saw the 1645 Blaeu volume with more decorative maps covering all the English and Welsh counties, he felt obliged to revise his existing plates and complete the set in order to compete. His new volume covering England and Wales was first published in the 1646 Latin text edition of the Atlas Novus. There were several later editions by Jansson, and later isses by Schenk and Valk who acquired the plates in 1694. French text to verso dates this example as from the editions of 1646, 1647, 1652 or 1656. Original colour. A little light offsetting.

Britannia Depicta was one of 3 pocket-sized reductions of Ogilby's road book that appeared within an 18 month timeframe between 1719 and 1720. It was more innovative than the others in including much additional topographical and historical information (researched by John Owen) on the maps. The work was a commercial success and ran to many later editions, this example being from the first edition of 1720.

This small county atlas of England and Wales was first issued in 1748 by a consortium of 7 publishers who also had a stake in the publication of Daniel Defoe's Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain. It was advertised as a companion volume to Defoe's work, or as a pocket atlas in its own right. Thomas Hutchinson's name appears as the engraver on 2 maps, but the rest are unsigned and may be by a variety of hands. They are sometimes also known as Osborne/Wale maps. There was a second edition in 1756. Modern colour. Ex-library blindstamp to 2 top corners.

Around 1750 George Bickham senior initiated the production of this series of birds-eye "maps" to supplement the re-issue of his partwork The British Monarchy. The map of Cambridgeshirel, drawn and engraved by his son, George Bickham junior, was published in1752. When the final serialisation had been completed in 1754 the work was also sold as a single volume. George Bickham junior later amended and re-issued the maps under a new title, and this specimen is from that edition of 1796. An uncommon map in excellent condition.

Joseph Ellis's English Atlas was an entry into the market for small county atlases by its publishers Robert Sayer and Carington Bowles. The county maps were closely based upon those drawn by Thomas Kitchin for the 1763 topographical work England Illustrated, the major difference being the attractive vignettes which replaced Kitchin's rococco cartouches. The atlas was first published in 1765, and soon became a commercial success, running to many later editions. It was promoted as a travelling atlas, and made available in various formats. These included a version with the maps printed back to back on each page, as with this example from a 1766 edition which has a map of Cheshire on the reverse.

It is suprising that Cary's large county atlas was issued as late as 1809, as individual maps from it seem to have been sold singly from 1801. The atlas format was perhaps to compete with the similarly sized atlas of Charles Smith, which went under the same title and was published in 1804. It is perhaps Cary's finest production, the maps being notable for their fine design, detail and engraving. The atlas ran to several later editions by Cary, and the plates were later used for a variety of lithographic transfers by G.F. Cruchley. This example is from the second edition of 1811, and is in original full colour.

Original colour, with a page of descriptive text.

This lithographed map formed part of a Parliamentary Report showing proposed changes to electoral arrangements and boundaries which were subsequently enacted in the 1832 Reform Act. Parliament subsequently ordered the plans be published to the public at large, which was done the same year. Dawson was a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers charged with survey and production of maps to illustrate the changes.Original colour.

Original full colour. Slightly creased at bottom centrefold. Some light offsetting.The Greenwoods surveyed all the counties from 1817-33 for their beautifully engraved county atlas finally published in 1834. Maps were also sold singly as produced. This Cambrideshire map is corrected to 1834, the year the atlas was first published.

Thomas Moule's antiquarian leanings are evident in this series of highly decorative county maps - a stylistic throwback in an age when cartographic work had become much plainer and more utilitarian. The maps were engraved by W. Smollinger, J. Bingley and J. Dower, and first appeared in Moule's English Counties Delineated, a partwork with text issued from 1830-32. They were subsequently made available as a complete work in 1837 under the same title, and were later re-issued in Barclay's Universal English Dictionary between 1842 and 1852. This latter work ran to several editions and the maps were often updated between editions to show the latest growth of the railway network. This example in modern colour is from the 1844 edition of Barclay's Dictionary in which the maps are usually found close trimmed. A little marginal staining and a vertical fold.

In 1822 Charles Smith issued a county atlas with maps based on his larger county maps which had been in circulation for over 20 years. The new maps were smaller in scale, but the atlas bore the same title as that in which his larger maps appeared. They are clearly drawn and engraved, but although there were several editions of the atlas, they are today amongst the rarer of the 18th century county maps. This example is from the edition of 1828 or 1833, in which the maps have no date in the imprint, but before railways were added for the edition of 1844. Original outline colour.

This very attractive "modern" set of county maps was drawn by Ernest Clegg and published in 1947 as the Countryman County Maps of Britain. This example was issued under the auspices of the British Travel Association for overseas sale.

The Walker's British Atlas was first issued in 1837, and ran to many subsequent editions with frequent updates to railways and other information. This example is from the editions of 1854 or 1856 - so dated from the railways shown, the publisher's imprints, and the population figures quoted. Full wash colour.

Polyolbion or "A Chorographical Description of all the Tracts, Rivers, Mountains, Forests, and other Parts of this Renowned Isle of Great Britain" is a strange work. It is made up of a series of "songs" in poetic form by Michael Drayton, these being illustrated with a series of maps, probably engraved by William Hole. It was first published in 1612 with 18 songs, each with a related map. In 1622 an expanded version was published with "Part Two" containing an additional 12 songs and associated maps. The new "Part Two" included this map covering Cambridgeshire and part of Huntingdonshire. The maps show no county borders or boundaries, but focus on rivers and are illustrated with allegorical figures of hunters, water nymphs and such like. This was the only issue of this map, which is sold in an attractive brown and gold frame.

Mr. Muir's Hunt. These hunting maps, engraved by John Dower for M.A. Pittman, originally appeared in the Sporting Review magazine in the early 1840's. The full set of 24 maps were also issued as The Fox Hunter's Atlas in c1843 and c1850. A later issue of the atlas in c1857 had 28 maps. Individual folding examples have also been found in red silk covers.The maps are based on the territory of each hunt irrespective of county borders.This example shows Mr. Muir's hunt, covering parts of Suffolk and Cambridgeshire. Modern colour.

Morden's set of smaller maps may originally have been drawn and engraved for Camden's Britannia, but rejected as too small. They were first published in 1701 in The New Description and State of England. This example is from Magna Britannia et Hibernia, originally issued as a 92 part topographical work between 1714 and 1731, but gradually also made available in 6 finished, bound volumes. The text and map of Cambridgeshire first appeared in October 1715, but this example is from volume 1 of the bound work with a title-page date of 1720. Original outline colour. Trimmed close to bottom right-hand border at the time of binding, but without loss. Re-margined to facilitate mounting if desired.