Camden's Britannia - a history and topography of Britain - was first published in 1586 and had a long and successful publication history. County maps by Kip and Hole were addded in 1607, and these also appeared in the editions of 1610 and 1637. Over 50 year's later it was decided to issue a new and updated edition. The original Latin text was re-translated by Edmund Gibson, and Robert Morden was commissioned to provide a new set of county and general maps in a more modern style. The revised work was issued in 1695. There were 4 further editions of the Gibson/Morden work, the last in 1772, before a further updated version by Richard Gough was launched in 1789, with new maps by John Cary. This example is from the first Gibson edition of 1695. Repair to bottom centrefold.
Coloured. Some repaired marginal tears including 2 impinging c 3cm within the bottom right border of the map. Otherwise a good and early example. This new series of maps was commenced in 1749, with maps sold singly until the last counties were completed and the full series issued in 1760 as the Large English Atlas. Derbyshire was first issued in 1758. J.Tinney's name on the imprint dates this copy to the first edition of the atlas in 1760 or earlier.
J. Ellis Ellis's English Atlas 1766 (1765)
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 The Isle of Man on the reverse.
B. Capper Topographical Dictionary of the UK 1808
Benjamin Pitts Capper was the author of this topographical directory, first published by R. Phillips in 1808. The maps were engraved, and possibly drawn by H. Cooper. Later editions of the work carry the imprint of G.and W.B. Whittaker who re-published the book from 1825-34. This example is from the first edition of 1808, with the hundreds shown in original, full wash colour.
J. Cary New English Atlas 1811 (1809)
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.
This work was published in 1835 as a companion volume to Lewis's Topographic Dictionary. It contains county and borough maps, drawn by R. Creighton and engraved by J.& C. Walker, and was designed to show the electoral and boundary changes effected by the 1832 Reform Act. There were 2 issues of the work in 1835 and 1840, this example of the county map being from the 1835 first edition. Original outline colour.
J. Duncan A Complete County Atlas of England and Wales 1840-45 (1825)
Coloured. These maps were first published in 1825, and probably sold singly. In 1833 they were re-published by James Duncan in a thematic atlas to illustrate the representative changes brought about by the 1832 Reform Act. There were later re-issues in 1840 and 1845 with the addition of railways, and this map dates from one of these editions.
J. Harrison Maps of the English Counties 1789-91 (1789)
Harrison's atlas was published in 1791, but maps were engraved and dated between 1787 and 1791, and may have been sold singly as completed. Derbyshire is dated 1789. Slight creasing across the centre, and a repaired tear c 4cms within the right-lower border.
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 issues by Schenk and Valk who acquired the plates in 1694. This attractively coloured example has no text to verso which precludes more accurate dating to a specific edition.
J. Lodge Untitled Atlas of the English Counties c1795
This was one of a set of county maps engraved by John Lodge and issued between 1787 and 1790 in The Political Magazine, and Parliamentary, Naval, Military and Literary Journal, published initially by John Murray, and later by R. Butters. The maps were subsequently collected together and re-issued as an atlas (without title page) around 1795. For this atlas edition the imprint with the publication date and engraver's and publisher's signatures was removed from the maps. This example is from the atlas edition. The maps are well engraved in the plainer style then coming into vogue. They are uncommon, and sought by collectors.
E. Bowen Royal English Atlas 1777 (c1764)
The Royal English Atlas, first published around 1764, was probably an attempt to repeat the commercial success of The Large English Atlas, with a somewhat smaller format. The maps were again engraved by Kitchin and Bowen, and the partners in the enterprise were based around the consortium that had finally brought out The Large English Atlas in 1760. This time, however, they misjudged the market, and although there were some later re-issues of the atlas, the modern rarity of the maps suggests it was not very successful. This example, dated 1777, bears the publishers' imprint of R. Sayer,J. Bennett, J. Bowles and C. Bowles. Original outline colour. A few brown spots to the right-hand margin. Minor repairs to centrefold tears without loss. Slight browning to outer white margins. The verso has a hand-written poem celebrating the death of a famous poet (whose name is not given). This was probably written by the original owner. This does not show through to the recto.
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 is from the magazine and shows The Marquis of Hastings hunt, covering parts of Leicestershire and Derbyshire. Modern colour.
This detailed and well engraved map was one of a set first published around 1812-14 by Robert Rowe, who was probably also their draftsman and engraver. The maps were initially sold singly in folding format until their collective issue in 1816 as The English Atlas. The plates were later acquired by Henry Teesdale, who amended titles and imprints and re-issued the work as the New British Atlas in 1829, with several re-issues up to 1842. The plates were later acquired and used by H.G. Collins and then by G. Philip and Son, who both used them as the base for lithographic transfers for a variety of works up to c1860. This example is from the 1830 second edition of Teesdale's atlas. Original wash colour.
T. Murray An Atlas of the English Counties 1830
The title page of Murray's county atlas states that the maps were "Projected on the basis of the Trigonometrical Survey by order of the hon.ble The Board of Ordnance, under the superindendance of T.L. Murray". This might seem to imply the project had at least the official blessing, if not the active involvement of the Ordnance Survey, but is more likely to be a marketing puff. D. Hodson has suggested that the maps were copied from those of William Ebden published from 1825-8, both sets also being engraved by the same firm of Hoare & Reeves. Murray's Atlas was first published in 1830, with second and third editions in 1831 and 1832, the latter with the adddition of electoral data. by 1838 the plates had been acquired by W. Robson & Co. who published and sold the maps individually, and also used them in their commercial directories. This example is from the first edition of 1830. Original colour. A short repaired tear in the lower white margin, not affecting the image.
J. Blaeu Theatrum Orbis Terrarum 1647, 1648 or 1664 (1645)
The Blaeu family were one of the leading Dutch map producers of the 17th century. Their major work was a multi volume world atlas initiated by Willem Blaeu and expanded by his son Joan. Their maps were beautifully designed and engraved, and are often found with original colour, making them most desirable to collectors. 1645 saw the first publication of volume 4 of the atlas, containing maps of England and Wales. There were several re-issues between then and 1672 when most of Blaeu's plates were lost in a fire which engulfed his Amsterdam premises. The Dutch text to the verso dates this example to the editions of 1647, 1648 or 1664. A few repaired tears to the outer margins, and to one longer one just touching the left hand border.
R. Blome England Exactly Described 1715 (1681)
Blome's smaller series of county maps have a puzzling history. They seem to have been initiated before his larger maps for Britannia, but were not published until 1681 when they appeared under the title Speed's Maps Epitomiz'd. Blome re-issued them twice before his death in 1705. The plates were subsequently acquired by Thomas Taylor who brought out a new edition in 1715 titled England Exactly Described.Taylor removed Blome's dedications on a number of maps including this one of Derbyshire, replacing it with additional place names in the bottom left hand corner. There were further editions in 1715 (by Taylor), and in c1731 (by Thomas Bakewell). These later editions had roads added to the maps. This example of the Derbyshire map is from the 1715 edition of the work. Original hand colour. A narrow left hand margin but as printed and without loss.