Originally intended as volume 3 of a larger cartographic project (The English Atlas), Richard Blome's Britannia was published alone in 1673. A rare second edition was issued in 1677. This Lancashire map is from the first edition of the work, and was dedicated to William Stanley, 9th. Earl of Derby and Lord Lieutenant of the county of Lancashire. In return for his patronage of Blome's project Lord Stanley received this dedication on the county map, and also appeared in the list of the nobility and gentry of the county, his coat of arms being further included amongst the 816 illustrated in the volume. Modern hand colour.
J. Cary Camden's Britannia 1806 (1789)
Camden's Britannia was first published in 1586. County maps by Kip and Hole were first added in 1607, being supplanted by those of Robert Morden for the 5 editions from 1695 to 1772. In 1789 a new translation of the work by Richard Gough was published by T. Payne and G. & J. Robinson with updated and modernised maps by John Cary. The same maps were also later used in Cary's New British Atlas of 1805. They can be found uncoloured, with outline colour and with full wash colour. This example is from the second Gough edition of Britannia, published in 1806, and the maps are in full wash colour - the most desirable state. Repairs to a couple of tears at folds, one slightly impinging the printed area.
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.
Charles Smith was a successful London publisher and map-seller, whose work is stylistically very similar to that of John Cary. His large format New English Atlas first came to market in 1804, but many of the maps have also been found in folding format and may have been sold individually before the publication of the atlas. Smith's maps were well designed and accurate, making use of the large scale county surveys of the previous half-century. The atlas was a commercial success and was up-dated and re-published regularly until c1865 (the latter editions produced by lithographic transfer). This example is from the 1808 second edition, and is in bright and original full colour.
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.
A. Perrot L'Angleterre, ou Description Historique et Topographique du Royaume de la Grande-Bretagne 1824-35
The text for this French topographical work on Britain was written by George Depping, the maps being drawn by Aristide Perrot and engraved by A. Migneret. It was first published in 1824, with subsequent editions in 1828 and 1835, this copy being from the second edition of 1828. The maps often cover more than one county as in this example which also includes Cheshire. The surrounding decorative border shows the typical produce and wares of the counties. 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. A little light offsetting.
Original colour. Dissected and linen-backed, folding into its original slip case. Publication of the maps that eventually made up the Large English Atlas began in 1749. Lancashire was published in c1752, with the full Atlas being completed in 1760. Maps were also sold singly, either as full sheets or sometimes dissected and linen-backed as this example. The imprint of Carington Bowles and Robert Sayer dates this example to c 1767-79.
These maps first appeared in Rowe's English Atlas of 1816, being subsequently acquired by a succession of later publishers and used in a variety of their works. They were modified and updated during this time. This example is the second lithographic transfer for Clarke's British Gazetteer, published in 1852 by H.G. Collins. Folded and trimmed (with minor loss) within top right hand border to fit the volume. Short repaired tear impinging c 0.5 cm within the top centre border.
The first five editions of Camden's successful history and topography of Britain were without maps, but for the sixth edition of 1607 the engravers William Hole and William Kip were commissioned to provide a set of maps of the counties of England and Wales, plus 3 general maps of the countries comprising the new "United Kingdom". These maps were retained for the subsequent 1610 and 1637 editions. They are based on the earlier work of Saxton, Norden, Smith and Owen. Later editions of Britannia had maps by Robert Morden (and later still by John Cary. This example is by Hole and from the 1637 edition. Modern colour.
G. Bacon New Large Scale Ordnance Atlas of the British Isles c1884-7 (c1862)
Edward Weller first drew this two-sheet map for the Weekly Dispatch newspaper as part of a series published between 1857 and 1863. The subsequent history of the maps includes re-issues in The Dispatch Atlas in 1863, Cassell's Complete Atlas in 1863, Cassell's British Atlas in 1865, Bacon's County Atlas in 1869, and Bacon's New Large Scale Ordnance Atlas from 1883. This example is dated from railway evidence to one of the editions of the last-named between 1884 and 1887. All editions of the maps were by lithographic transfer. Original colour.
J. Blaeu Theatrum Orbis Terrarum 1645/1648/1662 (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. A good example, possibly in original colour. Latin text to verso dates the map to the editions of 1645, 1648, or 1662.
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 engaved 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.
Lancaster. The New British Traveller was one of a number of publications by Alexander Hogg aiming to tap the bouyant market for works on British topography and antiquities. It included text on each couny, a set of county maps by T. Conder and others, and numerous copperplate prints by a variety of engravers. The work was initially issued in 60 parts from c 1783, and then as a complete work from 1784. Lancaster's origins go back to the establishment of a Roman fort on the site of its later castle.It became a borough in 1193, and was prospering at the time of this print, growing to become the country's busiest port in the 19th century. It was given city status in 1937. This print shows the River Lune in the foreground, with the town and the sea beyond. A couple of small worm holes to the lower margin and a little marginal foxing, which would be hidden by judicious mounting.
A. Fullarton The Imperial Gazetteer of England and Wales 1866-9
Liverpool from the Mersey. Archibald Fullarton first published The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales in 1840, with several further re-issues up to 1849. Its successor from 1866 to at least 1874 was titled The Imperial Gazetteer.... which, unlike the Parliamentary Gazetter, had no county maps, but featured the odd steel engraved plate, including this seascape of the Mersey backed by Liverpool. The print was engraved by R.B. Scott after a drawing by J.C. Brown. Some spotting.