.For many years the original author of this map was unknown and it was referred to as being by the "anonymous mapmaker". Today it is known to be by the herald and topographer William Smith, and to be one of a set of 12 maps drawn by him for an aborted atlas project around 1602-3. The printing plates subsequently went through a nunber of different owners.By 1650 they were in hands of Peter Stent, from c1665 they were owned by John and then Henty Overton, and finally passed to their last owners William Dicey from c 1756 and to his son Cluer Dicey in 1756. During this period the maps were sold singly or in composite atlases featuring maps from various sources and mapmakers. This example bears the imprint of C. Dicey & Co., which dates it to 1756 to c 1770. Copies of this map with the Dicey imprint are extrememly rare, and this one may be one of only two known examples.

The British Isles.This map by Louis Brion de la Tour is dated 1766 and was first published in that year in Desnos' Atlas General. It was re-issued in several later editions of the atlas up to c1798, with variations to the title. During that period there were also changes to the format in which the map was presented, and it can be found with or without printed border, and with or without text (either printed on the sheet or printed separately and pasted on. This example has no border, and the French language text is pasted either side of the map. There is a repaired tear to the top broder entering the map by c1cm, this damage being reflected in the price.

London Environs/NW Kent. This single sheet is one of four that together make up a larger map of the London Environs, titled An Accurate Map of the Country Sixteen Miles Round London, Drawn and Engrav'd from an Accurate Survey. The sheets were included in 4 separate numbers (January, April, May & June, 1764) of Vol 34 of the Gentleman's Magazine. They were intended to be conjoined into a single map to be bound into the completed volume at the year end. This is the lower/right sheet of the four, and mainly covers part of north-west Kent. No engraver is named. A rare survivor.

Scarborough Environs. This map of the area surrounding Scarborough was one of several small maps drawn and engraved for Blacks' Guide to the County of York, published c 1888, though several editions were probably issued over some years. It is marked as Plate 32, Page 296. The engraver is not named.

Scarborough Environs. I have not yet been able to trace the source of this neat little map showing the Environs of Scarborough, but believe it is probably from a 19th century guidebook to Yorkshire or to the Watering Places of England. It is marked as Plate 32, Page 296. If anyone out there can shed any light, please do let me know

Scotland. I have so far been unable to identify the source atlas from which this map comes. The style and colour printing suggests a date of perhaps 1890-1920, but this must be taken only as a guide. There are four repaired tears - two short, marginal ones not affecting the image, and two slightly longer ones entering the printed area by c 2cms. Despite these minor blemishes the map would still frame-up and display well.

London Environs/North-West Kent. This single sheet is one of four that together make up a larger map of the London Environs, titled An Accurate Map of the Country Sixteen Miles Round London, Drawn and Engrav'd from an Actual Survey. The sheets were included in 4 separate numbers (January, April, May & June, 1764) of Vol 34 of the Gentleman's Magazine. They were intended to be conjoined into a single map to be bound into the completed volume at the year end. This is the lower/right sheet of the four, and mainly covers part of north-west Kent. No engraver is named. A rare survivor.

Scarborough Environs. I have not yet been able to trace the source of this neat little map showing the Environs of Scarborough, but believe it is probably from a 19th century guidebook to Yorkshire or to the Watering Places of England. It is marked as Plate 32, Page 296. If anyone out there can shed any light, please do let me know.

Cambridge - Corpus Christi College - The Old Court. In 1860 a new edition of Le Keux's Memorials of Cambridge was published. As well as the original Le Keux steel engravings, the work contained 9 new etchings by R.H. Farren, a local artist of note who worked in oils and etched. This example of Farren's work shows the old court of Corpus Christi.

Cambridge - Cam improvements at St. John's. Uncoloured engraving from the issue dated 27/5/1869.

Caius College, Cambridge - The Gate of Honour. Picturesque Europe was a serialised patwork, designed as a showcase for steel and wood engravings after and by significant artists of the day. The 60 parts were published monthly from 1875 to 1880.When sets of parts were completed, they were also sold as complete volumes, building to a full 5-volume set, 2 volumes of which were devoted to the British Isles.This wood-cut print shows the Gate of Honour at Caius College with the Senate House and Old Scholls in the background, and appeared in part part 20 of the work in 1776/7. It was engraved by J.W. Whymper.

Trinity Hall - Main Entrance and Facade from Trinity Lane. In 1860 a new edition of Le Keux's Memorials of Cambridge was published. As well as the original Le Keux steel engravings, the work contained 9 new etchings by R.H. Farren, a local artist of note who worked in oils and etched. This example of Farren's work shows the entrance and frontage of Trinty Hall from Trinity Lanei.

Temple House, Bisham. The Beauties of England and Wales was a topographical partwork issued in 18 volumes between 1801 and 1815. It was initially published by Vernor & Hood and later by J. Harris. This print of Temple House was engraved by G. Cooke after a drawing S. Owen, and appeared in 1810. The house was built by Samuel Wyatt for Thomas Mils in the late eighteenth century. It was demolished in 1932.

Tewkesbury Abbey. The Beauties of England and Wales was a topographical partwork issued in 18 volumes between 1801 and 1815. It was initially published by Vernor & Hood, and later by J. Harris. This print was engraved by R. Roffe from a drawing by J. Burden. An Anglo-Saxon monastery once stood on the Abbey site from the 8th century, but the building of the present Abbey church was begun in 1102 in the Norman style. After the dissolution of the monasteries it became the parish church.

In the New Forest, Lymington. Picturesque Europe was a serialised partwork, designed as a showcase for steel and wood engravings after and by significant artists of the day. The 60 parts were published monthly from 1875 to 1880.When sets of parts were completed, they were also sold as complete volumes, building to a full 5-volume set, 2 volumes of which were devoted to the British Isles.This wood-cut print does not give a specific location but the drawing was taken in the forest near Lymington. It was drawn by J.W. Whymper, but the engraver's name is hard to read (possibly Raynes).

Lincoln Cathedral. Gustave Simonau, the engraver of this large print, was brought up in London where he studied painting and lithography before moving to Brussels in c1830. He was a major figure in 19th century watercolour and lithography media. Between 1838 and 1943 he produced a very large set of lithographs of European cathedrals and churches built in the Gothic style, including 5 of English cathedrals. The set was published by his father's lithographic company in 1843 under the title given. This fine example from the set is of Lincoln cathedral, and is dated 1841. It is printed on thick paper, and has been trimmed at the bottom resulting in the removal of the subject title, but leaving the lithographer and publisher's signatures. Slight loss to the white margins at two of the corners, not affecting the printed area.