H. Moll A Set of Fifty New and Correct Maps of the Counties of England and Wales / A New Description of England and Wales 1724/1733/1739 (1724)
Herman Moll's maps of the English and Welsh counties were originally designed to illustrate the topographical work entitled A New Description of England and Wales which was first issued in 1724. The publishers (Moll himself, the Bowles brothers and C. Rivington) decided to also put them out as an atlas volume without text, which also appeared in 1724 under the title A Set of Fifty New and Correct Maps of the Counties of England and Wales. There were various later editions of both formats, the last in 1753. This example bears the plate number 5 which dates it to one of the earlier atlas editions of 1724 or 1739, or to the serialised re-issue of A New Description ... in 1733. A waterstain to the outer top margin, not affecting the image, but otherwise a good and particularly well coloured example.Supplied mounted and ready to frame.
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.
This map first appeared in 1767 in the Atlas Anglicanus, published by Thomas Kitchin with maps engraved by Emanuel and Thomas Bowen. The maps copied the Large English Atlas in style, with rococo cartouches, and topographical notes surrounding the maps. The maps for the Atlas Anglicanus were first issued in monthly partworks between 1767 and 1768 before the complete atlas followed in 1768. The first state Doset map bears the signature of Emanuel Bowen alone, who was involved only in the early maps in the set before his death in early 1767. There was a second edition of the atlas in c1777, before the plates passed to Carington Bowles and were updated and re-issued as Bowles' New Medium English Atlas in 1785. On Bowles' death the plates passed to his business successors, trading as Bowles and Carver, who re-issued the atlas sometime after 1793 with their own imprint as proprietors on individual maps. The Atlas Anglicanus was not a commercial success and maps from it are not commonly found. This example is dated 1785, and is thus from the map's first issue by Bowles. Original colour. A short, repaired tear to the lower centrefold, just entering the border, but without loss.
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, 1828 or 1835 (1824)
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. The maps often cover more than one county as in this example which also includes Somerset. The surrounding decorative border shows the typical produce and wares of the counties. Original outline colour. A few small, light-brown spots. Supplied mounted.
James Pigot & Co's county maps were issued in their British Atlas (from c1829), in several of their national and local business directories (from 1826 for the "home counties", at least), and singly in folding form as travelling maps. They were amongst the first maps to be printed from steel instead of copper plates, allowing more accurate fine detail and less wear to the plates over time. Atlas and directories went through several editions up to around 1857, later editions from 1846 being re-named Slater's New British Atlas, with imprints changed accordingly. Original outline colour.
A. Fullarton The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales 1847 (1833)
These maps were first published by Fullarton and Co. in 1833 in James Bell's New and Comprehensive Gazetteer of England and Wales which was re-issued three times in the 1830's. They were subsequently re-published (again by Fullarton) in 1840 in The Parliamentary Gazetteer of England and Wales, with several further re-issues up to 1849. The maps were engraved on steel and sometimes bear the name of the engraver and sometimes not. This example is from the Parliamentary Gazetteer of 1847 and bears the signature of Gray & Son as engravers. Supplied mounted and ready for framing.
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.
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 1850 edition of Barclay's Dictionary.
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.
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. Modern colour.
Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary was first published in 1831, and there were a mumber or re-issues up to 1849. The county maps, which were drawn by R. Creighton and engraved by J.& C. Walker, were sometimes published with the text and sometimes in a separate, accompanying atlas volume. This example dates from the 1845 edition.
Chorographia Britanniae was one of the most popular 18th century atlases, offering county maps showing main roads, a handy pocket-size format and useful extra information provided in the notes. Maps from fhe first edition published in 1742 (but with maps dated 1741) initially had sparse topographical information, but within a few months a second edition was issued in which the maps were re-engraved to include many more towns and villages. This example is from this second edition. Several later re-issues followed and the work continued to be advertised until at least 1759. Modern colour.
James Wallis's New British Atlas was first published in 1813 by S.A. Oddy. There was a second edition in 1816. This example is from the first edition and is dated 1812 on the imprint. It is in attractive, original, full wash colour.
These maps (without the decorative borders) were first issued in 1821 in Miller's New Miniature Atlas. The plates were later acquired by William Darton who re-issued them as a miniature atlas, but also used the maps, embellished by country scenes in this children's work. Reuben Ramble is an invented character. Original colour to the illustrations, but the map colouring is probably later. Supplied mounted.
Maps for this miniature atlas were probably drawn and engraved by James Wallis, though alternative imprints serve to confuse the issue, some crediting Wallis as the printer and W. Reid as the publisher, and other listing Wallis and C. Hinton as co-publishers. It is most likely that Hinton had an early interest in the project, but dropped out before publication in 1820 to be replaced by Reid. Ownership of the plates later passed to Hodgson and Co. who issued a further edition with slightly amended title in 1825. This example, in original bright colour, has no imprints, and is from the 1820 first edition..
C. Smith New English Atlas 1828 or 1833 (1822)
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.
Richard Seale was commissioned to provide this folio county map to accompany John Coker's survey of the county, published by J. Wilcox in 1732. Coker was a Dorset clergyman, whose work was probably written in the first quarter of the 17th century, but was not published until well after his death, the manuscript having been acquired by the London bookseller and publisher John Wilcox. The map carries a dedication by Wilcox to the Hon. George Dodington, a very wealthy local landowner, then M.P. for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, and later created first Baron Melcombe. The work was never re-issued, and is consequently uncommon today. The right hand white margin has been restored where the map was trimmed hard against the neatline.
T. Kitchin The Antiquities of England and Wales c1789 (1753)
This map was first published in the October 1753 edition of the London Magazine, which between 1747 and 1754 issued a complete set of English county maps by Thomas Kitchin. The maps were later re-published by Alexander Hogg in Boswell's Antiquities of England & Wales, initially in partwork from c 1787-9, and then in several complete editions of the work up to 1798. This example of the Dorset map is from the first complete edition of Boswell's Antiquities dating from c1789.